Dead In The Family Redux
by CC Monaco
Summary: Sookie struggles to understand why Eric didn't come to her rescue. She wants an answer or a divorce. Near tragedy causes her to think twice; a happy ending seems possible. Until she realizes that she is a murder target, and this time, Eric can't save her.
1. Chapter 1

Dead In The Family (Redux)

"…_We plan to win, and we plan to have a _lot of fun….We have to leave you breathing …but the more terrible your plight, the faster the war will be over." I struggled against the leather binding my arms. Eric, please? Eric hear me, please. Eric? ERIC? ERIC?

I startled myself awake and immediately realized that I'd had the nightmare again. I'd been sweating and my nightgown was stuck to my chest. I climbed out of bed and got into the shower knowing that I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. I'd begun having the dreams about a week after I was returned to Bon Temps, and now they were a regular fixture of my week. Being kidnapped and tortured was by far the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I fought the impulse to call Eric for the fifth time tonight. I wanted to tell him about the dreams and how awful things had been without him all these months, but I couldn't; he wasn't taking my calls. He had already been through a lot with me. I had begun to feel like a liability, only calling when I needed help.

Right after my kidnapping, Eric hadn't been able to give me any more blood, and he and I decided it would be best if we just didn't tempt each other. At first, we called each other two or three times a week. But as the days and nights passed, I realized that maybe Eric was just as disturbed by what had happened as I was. He told me that at some point he would explain why he was unable to come to my aid, but I couldn't think of a single reason why unless he was being held captive himself. When I brought it up, he insisted that he couldn't tell me yet. I felt as if he was hoping that I would forget about the whole incident. But that just made it more pressing for me. I finally gave up and stopped asking but it left a hole in my heart because maybe I'd overestimated my importance to him and he didn't want me to know it. He knew I'd stop seeing him if he was just using me for his own purposes. It became awkward to be around him, like this huge weight between us that we couldn't shake. It was easier to just stay away so we spoke less often. Pretty soon, it was down to once a month, if that.

I'd been struggling with the idea that Eric and I were reaching some sort of point of no return in our relationship as well as our blood exchanges. I wouldn't proceed any further with him until I could decide what being with him entailed. When I told him what I was considering, he was surprisingly upset, but I chocked that up to Eric not liking anyone challenging his will. I'd had the courage to go to his office at Fangtasia to deliver the news. I'd worked up my nerve all that day to tell him that I just didn't think that we should continue as we were without taking some time to assess.

I had hoped that he would take this as an opportunity to either tell me how he felt about me, or let me go. I was also hoping that he would see that I really did want to know why Bill rescued me, and not the man who'd been telling his bosses that he was my husband. He took this to mean that I wanted to see other people, and I guess part of me did want to find someone with whom I could pretend to be normal. He said that as confused as he had been, he didn't need or want time apart.

I hadn't expected Eric to be quite so cold when I told him. I wasn't breaking things off, but that was how he treated me. He offered to release me from our bond, but I told him that I didn't know what I wanted and that I just wanted some time to think. I swore to him that I wouldn't have sex with anyone while we were separated. He was very quiet. I'd tried to kiss him, but he moved very quickly away from me and held the door open. I didn't let that stop me, I tried to kiss him again and this time, he allowed me to brush his lips lightly with a kiss. I promised him that I would stay in touch, and I asked if he would consider coming to see me occasionally. He said that he would consider it, but I didn't believe him.

For weeks, I kept to myself. I cleaned my house, I read, I even signed up for an evening writing class at the rec center. I accepted the two dates that I'd been asked on, but in the end, I found that pretending just didn't suit me.

Jason and I spent quite a few evenings talking, and I found my brother to be quite interested in helping me recover my sense of self. I took the little guest bedroom some nights, too forlorn to make the drive out to Hummingbird Road.

In April, I received a letter from Eric saying that Quinn had requested to see me again, and that he had informed Quinn that we were no longer exclusive enough for him to care. I was crushed, and I sat on the floor in my kitchen staring at the letter. It was handwritten in Eric's elegant script. Eric was probably done with me. I wasn't sure why I was upset, given the fact that I was the one who had protested the pledging in the first place. But I spent that evening in my pajamas crying. The letter was as formal as a tax bill.

Eric stipulated that it would be in everyone's best interest if he and I made appearances together at vampire events. I understood that to mean that if I didn't at least pretend to still be Eric's wife, I could be conscripted by any number of Supernaturals who wished to "borrow" my services. Eric was decent enough not to throw me to the wolves, quite literally. At least there was that. I held onto the hope that I would at least get to spend time with him at public events, however infrequent.

The letter stated that Quinn would continue to be banned if he could not accept the terms and conditions that Eric was spelling out. Eric was still making decisions for me, as I hadn't agreed to see Quinn.

Maybe it was partly revenge for the letter, maybe it was partly emotional fatigue, but when Quinn called, I agreed to see him for one evening. I told him that I was not up to any more declarations about relationships, and that I needed to take things slowly. I told him not to expect too much from me because I was in tatters, and I meant it. I'd gone from thinking Bill was the love of my life, to thinking that Eric was the man for me. Things had gotten so complicated between Bill's betrayal, and Eric's refusal to acknowledge my feelings, that I just didn't trust my heart anymore. I also told Quinn that I was not sexually available to anyone while I figured out my relationship with Eric. At first, he took this badly. I started to wonder if I was being used as a pawn to piss Eric off. When Quinn realized that I meant no sex, he eventually came around and I know he probably thought that I would break and give in to his charms, but I'd sworn to Eric. And even though Eric wouldn't see me, or speak to me except as dictated by politics, I would remain faithful in that respect. Quinn accused me of delaying the inevitable break up, but every time he brought up Eric, I shut down; the subject was completely off limits. He began to see that he would get nowhere on that subject and he stopped asking. I think he felt grateful for any attention that I paid him, and if I was honest with myself, a part of me thought he was pathetic.

He spent a lot of money on fancy dinners hoping to impress me. I always ate silently, grateful to be out of the house. But I caught myself wondering what Eric was doing more than a few times. I let Quinn hold my hand at movies, I let him open doors for me, and I let him take me dancing. I wasn't a complete stick in the mud, but I wasn't trying to get his hopes up either.

I kept thinking that Quinn would give up and tell me that he just didn't see how this could work out and I would say, okay and just be alone; my own person making my own decisions for a while. I realized that I was dating Quinn because I didn't know what else to do. My Gran might have said that I was missing the days when Eric would fight for me, and in my heart, I knew it was true. But Eric didn't ruffle one blond hair trying to stop me.

Dates with Quinn were always the same: He always drove, he always asked if he could come in for a nightcap, and he'd always try to get me into bed by claiming that he was too drunk to drive home safely. I knew that he thought he'd gotten me drunk too, but I was well aware that he was attempting to wear me down, so I kept ordering gin and adding water when he wasn't looking. When he'd declare himself unfit to drive, I offered him the guest bedroom. After each subsequent date, Quinn's attempts became more and more blatant. He kept trying to kiss me, and at first I flat-out refused, but lately I'd given in and let him. He seemed to perk up and stopped being so moody. He asked if he could stay with me while he was in town for the first annual Were Athletes Association meetings. I don't even know why I'd said yes, but I had.

That first night, he slid into my bed hoping that I would allow him to stay. I rolled away from him. He kissed my shoulder and rubbed my hip under the sheet. I asked him to go back to his room and he pressed himself against me. He moaned in my ear, telling me how badly he needed to be inside me. It would have been so easy to give in to him. I had to admit that I was so starved for affection that I could hardly stand it. I wanted to roll over and just give in. It would have been really easy. But I slid out of the bed and stood waiting until Quinn gave up and stormed out.

We had a huge fight. He asked why I thought it was okay to lead him on. I argued that I told him upfront what he was getting into. He yelled that I was teasing him, letting him get close. He stood in my doorway, filling the frame and telling me that Eric wasn't going to call me if that's who I was holding out for. I locked my door and wept silently. I was so different from who I recognized myself to be that I wasn't sure I knew what I wanted.

The next morning, I told Quinn that I was thinking of leaving Bon Temps, and I was telling the truth. For the first time in my life, I thought about selling Gran's house and heading out west. I could re-invent myself and no one would know who or what I was. I became excited by the idea and I began to research where I'd like to go using Hadley's computer. That afternoon, Quinn called me at Merlotte's and said he had news to tell me when I got home. I didn't care what his news was, but I said great and got Jane Bodehouse's turkey club.

When I got home, I saw a bright yellow envelope in the mail. My heart raced a bit because those envelopes have always brought me bad news in some form or another.

I turned it over and saw my name handwritten in large, flowing letters. It was a letter from Eric. I didn't want to open it at first, expecting a formal declaration that we were un-pledged if that was even a word. I tore it open and held my breath. It was a summons from Eric and I found myself secretly smiling the whole evening at the prospect of seeing Eric again for the first time in months.

The letter stated that he would provide transportation to and from the event, as well as a clothing voucher if I needed something to wear. We were to attend a charity function for the League of Beneficent Blood Drinkers. They raised money to fund research into Sino-AIDS, the only disease that could actually harm a vampire. Quinn was frustrated when he heard that I'd need to attend a function with Eric. I think he'd hoped that it would never come up and that Eric was making idle threats.

I climbed out of the shower, dried off and threw on sweat pants and one of Jason's Bon Temps football t-shirts. I could never get back to sleep after a nightmare, so I decided I could just get my day started a little earlier. I went downstairs, made some mint tea and sat by the fireplace. Eric and I had made love in front of it when he'd stayed with me. He was so gentle and giving. We talked and kissed, and he asked to stay with me forever and even though I knew it would be a false premise, I had been sorely tempted to let him.

I walked over to the mantel and patted the little fairy statue sitting there. When I was a girl, I thought it was whimsical that my grandmother had a statue of a naked fairy woman with her arms outstretched. Now, knowing what I knew about her, I wondered if she was thinking of her lost fairy love. I wondered if she had hoped that some of his magic would rub off on her. I had never been allowed to touch it when I was little, and now, I dusted it carefully in honor of my Gran. I'd told Eric about it, and how much it meant to her. He'd nodded and rubbed its belly for luck. I'd laughed and told him I thought that was for Buddha. He said he was hoping for luck with a certain fairy girl of his own.

I thought of his bright blue eyes. I could almost feel his super soft hands on me. I thought of the look in his eyes when he'd call me Lover and lean in for a kiss. I was on the verge of tears with wanting him. It was only four in the morning; I still had time to call before he turned in for the night. I considered what I would say. Why was I really calling? Would he see through me and call me out? I reached for the phone and set it down on its cradle. What _would_ I say? Eric, I was a fool, I can't wait to see you? Eric, thanks for abandoning me, you can suck it if you think I'm going out with you? I didn't want our first conversation to be in the parking lot of The Langley Hotel, there was too much time and space between us. I grabbed the cordless phone and sat down on the floor in the living room. I could see the moon nearly ending its arc for the night. We'd lain here together under my Gran's afghan looking at the moon. He told me that he often missed the sun. I dialed the phone and put it to my ear before I could change my mind. My heart raced, and a lump sprouted in my throat. He didn't answer right away and I figured he was probably staring at the phone deciding whether or not he wanted to answer it. I almost hung up until I heard a sharp "Yes?" I wished I'd hung up; I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd gotten to me with one word.

"He- hello?" "Um, Eric? It's me." I was surprised by how constricted my throat had become. He'd ruined me.

"Hello, Sookie. I must say that I am surprised that you are calling me." He was as smooth and unfazed as ever. I heard chatter in the background and knew that Eric must still be at Fangtasia. I don't even know what I meant by calling, but I had him on the phone.

"I got your letter." I felt myself shivering and walked into the bathroom for my robe. He sat silently waiting for me to go on. When a vampire feels entitled to hurt feelings, they really string it out.

"My second letter, you mean." He let the conversation hang there, without adding to it. He wasn't going to make this any easier for me.

"Second letter? No, this is the only…." I didn't say more because I realized suddenly what must have happened to the first. I sighed, "I just wanted to say that I'll be there." I sat on the edge of the tub, which was still wet from my shower.

"I expected that you would be. You made a promise." I didn't say anything for a moment, hoping that he could tell that I was struggling and would jump in to rescue me at any time. But something about his tone told me that he wasn't in the rescuing Sookie business anymore.

"Uh, it's-it's been a long time since I saw you last and I just- I just wanted to let you know that I'm really looking forward to seeing you tonight."

"Oh." He couldn't have said that more dispassionately if he'd been watching grass grow.

"Eric, listen," I felt the dam bursting. Tears welled up but I tried to hold it together. "I just want to-" he interrupted me.

"If this is not important, I have a business to run." I choked as if he'd slammed a door shut in my face.

"It's not. I'll, I'll see you tonight." I was about to hang up, but he cleared his throat. Is it possible that Eric was choked up too? No, way. I thought. Not Eric.

"I could pick you up myself instead of sending a driver." I smiled because the iceberg between us was melting even if only a little bit.

"I would like that." I sniffled. "It would give us a chance to talk."

"Nine then?"

"Eight?" I was bargaining like a schoolgirl for an extra hour with him.

"Eight-Thirty?"

"See you then." I waited for him to hang up, but he didn't right away. I realized that he was waiting for me to hang up but I didn't. We sat like that for nearly twenty seconds. I wasn't quite ready to end my connection to him. I whispered, so quietly that I could even deny to myself that I'd said it out loud. "I….miss….you." But of course he heard me and I sat there bravely waiting for a response, but the line went dead. I held the phone in my hand and stared at it.

"Sookie, what are you doing?"

Quinn stepped out of the shadows and into the bathroom. I wondered if he'd heard me talking to Eric, or if he had just walked up. He'd arrived around 10 saying that he had news for me, but when he saw that I was distracted he said he would tell me another time. I was furious that he'd kept Eric's first summons from me, but I didn't want a whole scene. Tonight, I just wanted to think about the possibility of seeing Eric.

"Uh, nothing. Sorry. Couldn't sleep." I pushed past him, trying to conceal the phone and the fact that I was on the verge of tears. I'd hang the phone up properly much later in the day. He stayed in the bathroom to use it, and I slid the phone under a stack of papers on the kitchen counter. I ran up the stairs and climbed into bed, half smiling, half crying. I heard him climb the stairs and the floor creaked outside my door. I buried my head in my pillow, willing him to go away. After a moment or two, the floor creaked again and I heard him go downstairs to the guest bedroom.

I awoke around 9:30 excited and happy for the first time in months. I jumped out of bed and practically ran down to make coffee. Quinn was up and had made toast. I didn't even mind that his robe was not properly tied. I sailed past him to grab orange juice from the refrigerator.

"What's got you so happy this morning?" He took a bite of toast and leaned against the counter.

"Nothing in particular, I just finally got some good rest." I poured a bowl of cereal and sliced a banana on top. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head.

I would have to tell him that I was going out with Eric tonight, but right now, I was enjoying keeping that all to myself. As if he'd heard me, he said,

"I have reservations at Dalloway's in Shreveport. I have news for you."

I shook my head at his lousy timing. "I'm really sorry that I won't be able to make it Quinn, Eric and I have to attend a function this evening." I looked back down at my cereal. I didn't want him to see that saying "Eric and I" made me happier than I'd been in months.

"When did this come up? When were you going to tell me?" I heard indignation in his voice and that started to piss me off, considering I didn't get Eric's first summons.

"It came up when Eric sent me a request to accompany him. You remember the terms of the agreement that you made with him that would allow you to continue doing business in this area?"

"I did that so that we could try to have a relationship. Which I have to say, I feel as if I'm the only one wanting this to work."

"You asked for a chance to plead your case, you asked me to see you so that you could feel as if I had given you a fair shake. I agreed to it. God help me, I don't know why, but I did. But now you're upset with the terms?"

"For weeks, I've been showering you with attention, trying to get you to notice me, trying to get you to want me. You act like you do, but it's all an act. I thought that after a few weeks of moping over that dead son of a bitch, you would be ready to accept love from a real man."

"I told you not to expect anything from me. You knew going into this that I was going through emotional hell. I don't know why you've been hanging onto the idea that we are going to have a perfect relationship right this moment. I told you I don't know what I want. I told you that I was not going to have sex with anyone until Eric and I have some sort of resolution."

"You haven't done anything _to_ resolve it Babe. You're just stringing us both along actually. Why are you doing this to me?"

"What I am doing to you? You are free to go at any point. In fact, when is your conference over? I thought that you were heading back to Memphis two days ago." I left the bitter edge in my voice. He had seriously overstayed his welcome.

"I did go back to Memphis. The news that I had for you was about us, and my mother. I found a facility for her that is not too far from my house. I'm still trying to make arrangements for Frannie, but I'm close. You said that if my situation changed…."

" Quinn, I'm glad that you are going to be able to have some peace in your life."

"So, you didn't actually mean it when you said that my baggage was the reason that you weren't interested in me?"

"No, I meant that." I cleaned my dishes and put them away. I didn't want to explain myself further. I'd said enough. "If you would leave my key after you've locked up, that would be great." He turned me around and glared at me.

"So that's it? I get the bum's rush when Eric calls you?"

"I didn't say that, nothing has changed between Eric and me. But I don't think it's a good idea for you to continue staying here. You told me it was for a few days. I need my space back. And close your robe for God's sake."

I changed clothes and headed into town to find something nice to wear to the event. Eric's clothing voucher was only good in Shreveport of course, so I hopped in my little car and headed for the highway. The extra money helped solve my issue of where to shop, just not what to buy. I spent a little extra time and care choosing my outfit. I didn't want anything too sexy, but I didn't want to look unsophisticated. I let the clerk suggest something for me and when I saw myself, I knew she'd nailed it. I drove back to Bon Temps with the radio up loud. I was so happy to see Eric that I sang along at the top of my lungs; tone deaf as you please.

I picked up my check from Sam, stopped by the bank and visited with Sharice Clark, who had recently moved back to Bon Temps after living in Austin, Texas since graduation. We talked about having the courage to pick up and move away, getting over the fear of finding a place to live, finding a job, making new friends and how she'd managed. She confided that she felt like a failure returning to Bon Temps, but someone had to run her father's auto parts business after he'd had a second heart attack. I assured her she was just being a good daughter and that everyone I'd talked to in Bon Temps saw her as a success considering she recognized her obligation and returned to fulfill it. Sharice was genuinely glad to hear this, and it made being a telepath not quite so sleazy when I could help someone feel good about themselves. I didn't quite know what to do with a whole day off and a few more hours of anticipation. I decided to work on my tan just a little since I was wearing a white dress. I had definitely slowed down the tanning though, Jenny-Lyn Wilmer, the owner of the salon where I tan occasionally, came into Merlotte's with Jason two weeks ago and she looked forty. When I mentioned this to Jason, he reminded me that she is four years younger than me; that got my attention.

I had gotten most of the way home when I felt the car lurch to the right suddenly. I pulled over and saw that my tire was flat. I kicked it, took my packages out and began walking towards Hummingbird Road. I would call Jason later and ask him to help me.

I walked home for the first time in a few years, noticing all the ways in which my little town had changed since I walked these roads as a child. For a moment, I wondered if this was what it was like for Bill Compton to see his home spring up from farmland, to pavement, to intersections, neon signs and internet cafés. Eric was even older. I thought of Eric, his blonde hair would be sleekly pulled back into a ponytail, and tied with leather. I wondered what he would wear. I thought of dancing close to him like we had at the summit. I thought of kissing him at that awful orgy years ago, and how he'd helped me get dressed for the evening. Being with Eric was like having your best friend and lover all rolled up into one person.

As my heart fluttered in my chest at the idea that in a few short hours, I would be beside him, I came to the realization that I might be in love with him. I whispered it to myself. "I love Eric." Then I said it again out loud and it wasn't so scary.

I ran up my driveway and into the house. I drew a bath and poured extra bubble soap into it. I would soak, and tan and nap and dress, then Eric would be here. My Eric.

Someone knocked on the door close to eight and I had a moment of panic that Eric had cancelled our plans for the evening. I hadn't heard a car, so I was being extra cautious. I looked out the peephole and saw Quinn with a bottle of wine, a bouquet of daisies and a card. I put my mood in check. No need to flaunt my happiness in front of him. He was sullen, but cordial, as he looked me up and down.

"You look really nice, Babe. Eric's lucky to spend the evening with you."

"Thank you, Quinn. Would you like to come in for a few minutes?" I hoped that if I kept him cheery, he would leave of his own accord and I could spare myself a drawn out argument.

"Hey, I just wanted to throw something on the table for you to consider." He crossed into the kitchen and got two wine glasses down. I opened the bottle and he poured. I was doing a mental checklist of what else I needed to finish before Eric showed up.

"You mentioned that you're ready to leave Bon Temps. I wanted to know if you would consider moving to Memphis with me. I'm getting my mother settled in at the Morningside adult care facility and Frannie is going to live with my Aunt Bette in Tallahassee. That means I have time to focus on you and only you if you will have me."

I didn't say anything at all. I took a big drink from my glass and set it down slowly.

"Quinn, this is really unexpected. I—I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything right now, just promise me that you'll think about it, okay?"

"I can promise you that I will give it some thought. But I have to tell you that this feels like I'd be jumping into the fire so to speak. My head and my heart are a mess right now and you deserve someone who is unencumbered." I hoped I was using that word correctly. I had glanced at it last Tuesday on my calendar, and thought wouldn't it be nice to be unencumbered? He poured more wine into my glass but I caught a flash from his brain that he wouldn't mind antagonizing Eric by having me sloppy drunk at the dinner party. I would have to sacrifice one of my lovely wine glasses, but I didn't want anything to spoil this evening. I reached for the glass but overshot it by a few centimeters, knocking it into the sink. The glass broke and wine spilled into the drain.

"Gosh, I'm a bundle of nerves, it would seem." I smiled up at him sweetly and began picking shards of glass from the basin.

"I can get you another glass." He walked to the cabinets.

"You know, I'm going to pass. I still have to switch my purse. Did you need anything else?" I wanted to meet Eric without him hanging around.

"Uh, no. I can see that you're anxious for me to go, so I'll leave. Have a good time tonight." He pushed the card towards me again and strode out to the foyer.

"Quinn, thanks for stopping by." I smiled again and he stepped out into the growing darkness.

I didn't want to appear as if I couldn't wait for Eric to arrive, so I tried to sit calmly in my room. I checked my lipstick for the tenth time. I smoothed my hair for the millionth time. I fretted over which earrings again. Then settled on the ones I had on.

When he knocked softly on my door, I thought my heart would leap from my chest. I glided down the steps in my new white and pink silk strapless dress. The bodice had pink pearls in a cascade that trailed down to a cinched waist. The waist flowed out and down which gave the dress a retro feel, but a modern look. I'd thought about wearing black, but so many human companions wore black that I felt like it was cliché. I had wrapped a delicate pink silk shawl around my shoulders, and wore very high white heels. I'd splurged on the shoes because I wanted to show off my long legs. The shoes were a little racier than anyone could claim to ever have seen me in, but there was something dead sexy about them.

I took a deep breath before I opened the door. Eric stood before me in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and silver tie. His hair was slicked back and he looked magnificent. Neither of us spoke for a few moments. I don't know that I could have. He stared at me and I stared right back. I smiled involuntarily. He put his hand out and I took it. He kissed my hand and I felt his cool lips against my skin. He inhaled deeply and looked at me with curiosity and something else. I turned around and locked the door. I turned back and looked up at him. I didn't know why tears were coming, but I felt my throat tighten. A solid minute passed of us staring at each other on the porch.

"Well,….Shall we?" He led me to his car and opened the door. I looked up at him as I got into his car and he closed the door. A movement caught my eye along the trees. Come to think of it, I hadn't heard Quinn's car come or go. Eric must have noticed something too, because he lingered outside for a moment longer. I wondered about it briefly, but Eric was beside me then and he smelled so good.

"Eric, " I croaked. "Thank you for picking me up."

"Thank you for keeping your word." I wasn't sure if he only meant about going to parties with him. So I added, "I kept my word about everything." He didn't look at me; he only stared at the road ahead. I knew that I could sit demurely and wait for him to make a move, but I didn't think that he would. I reached across us and took his large hand. I pressed it to my lips and kissed it. He didn't pull his hand away from me so I kissed it again. I pressed his hand against my cheek and a tear slid down onto his hand.

I kissed his hand again and placed it back on his leg.

Eric didn't say anything to me at all the whole way to Shreveport. We reached the Langley Hotel and a valet approached the door. Eric beat him to it and opened the door for me. I gave him my hand and allowed him to lift me out of the car. I saw a little dried blood in the corner of his eye and I wet my thumb, reached up and smudged it off. He leaned down and let me.

We walked a red carpet and there were photographers upon us. Vampire charity events were almost no different than human ones. According to _VQ_ magazine, no self-respecting vampire should pass up the opportunity to look charitable. I smiled brightly, not because I was vain, but because I was impressed by how many photographers wanted pictures of Eric and me together. They crowded around us yelling for Eric to turn around and show off his date. Eric surprised me by turning us towards the throng, "This…., is my wife, Sookie. Isn't she beautiful?" He leaned down and kissed me. I was three kinds of stunned. Eric had publicly declared that I was still his and that we were married. I didn't know how I felt about a public declaration, especially since technically, we weren't legally married. I let him lead me into the ballroom of the hotel and before I knew it, I had a glass of champagne in one hand, and his hand in the other.

There were nearly fifty couples gliding from table to table, dancing, clinking glasses. I felt like I was in a movie. There were dozens of flowers spread on tables draped in white linens. The room was lit by a combination of candlelight and the soft glow of chandeliers overhead. A band was playing classical music, but I couldn't have told you which song.

Eric led us up to a table near the front of the room. He explained that the seating was organized by status, but if your date was human, you were relegated to a lower rank, thus forfeiting a good seat. As we'd passed those tables, many of the human females made internal comments that I was too much of a lady to dwell on. Eric either had a lot of pull, or they didn't regard me as totally human. Either way, we had an excellent table with our own tableside server to attend to our needs. Eric handed the server something, and he crossed the room to the orchestra. I saw him hand something to the band director. I couldn't believe how many eyes were on us as we waited for my plate to arrive.

Eric asked if I was hungry, and I was. He fed me crackers with pâté, which I found a little too creamy for my taste. I was surprised to discover that there was a chef who specialized in creating blood-based appetizers for the vamps. One particularly popular dish looked like a deep burgundy cranberry sauce but I knew better. Eric explained that none of the blood items contained anything other than thickeners and coagulants. I grimaced a bit and he laughed. I hadn't heard him laugh in a long time and it made me smile.

He took my champagne glass and replaced it with a fresh one. I was feeling a bit giddy, but the food helped. I ate another crab puff and waited for the charity auction to begin.

Every place setting had a catalogue of jewelry designed by the famous vampire Naomi Van der Sar. Her original creations were to be auctioned off tonight with the proceeds benefiting the Sino-AIDS research fund. I thumbed through it while Eric made small talk with a vampire named Wyatt. A pair of diamond earrings caught my eye, but the starting bid was $1200.00; that was just about what I had in savings.

We watched the auction attentively. The cluster of human females behind me had become noisier the drunker they became. As the auction progressed, they became more and more vocal with their disappointment at not winning particular items. They were also yelling indelicate statements at each other when one or the other's vampire boyfriend did attempt to win an item.

The music started up again and Eric stood. I figured he'd seen someone else that he needed to address. He placed his hand out and waited for me to take it. I rose and we were gliding smoothly on the dance floor. I recognized the song as "Why Would I Cry For You? " by Sting. Eric had requested this for us. I smiled at him, and he smiled at me. He spun me around, pulled me in close and whispered in my ear,

"You look radiant tonight."

"Thank you. You're pretty stunning yourself." I was emboldened by the alcohol and the nearness of him. I laid my head on his chest and swayed with him. We held each other and I felt his need pressing between us. I know he detected the little dance my heart did as I pressed right back against him. He spun me out away from him again and pulled me in close.

"Everyone is watching you." He kissed my ear tenderly as he held me.

"They're watching you too" I turned my head and kissed his cheek. "Eric, I'm sorry about everything."

"I know. So am I. I wasn't trying to trick you. I really am looking out for you. Has the king contacted you at all?" I hadn't heard from anyone since I'd asked Eric for a separation.

"No, and if that was your doing, then thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome, lover." I missed him calling me that. I missed everything about him. I promised myself I would tell him that I loved him.

"Eric, how long do we have to stay?" He stopped where he stood for a moment and looked so hurt that I figured he must have misunderstood. "I just meant that I would like us to go someplace else….together." I kissed him gently and he took my meaning.

"Come with me, now." He looked around to see if anyone would miss us if we slipped out. While I went back to the table to get my handbag, Eric retrieved my shawl from the coat check. I met him in the lobby and he flashed a plastic key. I took his hand and pulled him to the elevator. The doors opened and I pulled him inside.

The glass-lined walls gave me three perfect views of him. I felt myself being lifted up and I was pressed against the glass, his tongue in my mouth. I clung to him so I wouldn't fall. I didn't notice when the bell dinged and the doors slid open. Eric set me down and straightened his tie. I smoothed my skirt and we exited the elevator looking for room 919. He got the key in the door. We fell through it and were at each other's clothes. He slid his hand up my skirt and pulled. My panties fell away, so I knew that he'd torn them. I didn't care one bit. I threw his tie onto the floor and saw a button fly across the room. His pants were in a pile by the door. He unzipped my dress quickly and I flung it over my head. I pulled at the clasp of my strapless bra and he threw it down. I had him on the floor in moments. He flipped me over onto my back and glided into me, easily.

"Oh, Sookie, you're so ready." I covered his mouth with mine and we moved together urgently. I begged him to take me and he was very obedient. It had been so very long since we'd been together. I cried out as he moved his hips. He pulled me up off the floor and onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried his head in my chest. He flicked his tongue over my breasts and I put my face in his hair, inhaling. I kissed the top of his head as he worked me over. I shifted beneath him, and sparks shot out from my core. I grabbed his hair and held on. He pressed me down onto him, willing me to ride out the storm. I felt my back arch away from him, and he pulled me close to him again. I felt his hand wrap around my hair and my neck being pulled back.

Then his mouth was on me. He didn't bite, but I knew he wanted to. I was nearly incoherent. I mumbled for him to drink, but he was showing amazing restraint. I said his name over and over again, begging him not to stop; begging him to make me his. He groaned in my mouth and then he was near his end. I remembered how good it had been for him when I'd bitten him before. I sank my dull teeth into his neck and bit as hard as I could. His blood rushed into my mouth and I had to swallow fast to keep up. He actually shivered as he exploded inside of me. I held onto him and we sat like that for a few moments with his back pressed against the couch and my thighs on either side of his.

"Sweet Valhalla." He circled me in his arms and I stared into his eyes thinking that this was the moment. I would tell him.

"Eric, baby….I…." He put his finger over my lips and shushed me. I shook my head in protest. "No, I want to tell you…" He covered my mouth with his and kissed me.

He whispered into my mouth, "Just, be with me." I looked at him to be certain he knew even if he didn't want me to say it. I saw a shadow cross his face, and I thought I had a flash from his mind.

"Did you just read…?" I shivered then, and he lifted me off of him.

I was beyond a wreck. I gathered my shawl and purse. I had to look for my shoes. He found his tie in a chair, his shirt, which I couldn't totally remove, was blood stained and ruined. I looked in the mirror and saw that I had some of his blood on my neck. He licked my neck and I rubbed against his thigh. I wrapped my shawl around his neck and pulled him close to me. I looked up at him and we both laughed. He leaned down and we kissed. We took another look around the room. He handed me my torn panties and I put them in my purse. Nothing else but a few buttons for anyone to find.

The valet pulled the car around and I kissed Eric's cheek before stepping in. I must have flashed the valet because I heard him mentally giving Eric a high five. I quickly closed the car door and put my face in my hands. Eric tipped him and climbed in.

"What's wrong?"

"Just drive." Eric drove away quickly.

"Seriously, what's wrong Sookie? Are you unwell?

"Geez, I'm just embarrassed. I accidentally flashed that guy." He roared with laughter at my embarrassment.

"Is that all? You made that poor kid's night."

"I'm so ashamed, and yet part of me doesn't give a damn." We exchanged glances throughout the drive back to Bon Temps. I suspected there was something that he wanted to discuss with me, but I didn't want to ruin our great evening. But as we got closer to my road, I knew that we'd have to have this out in the open.

"I'm not sleeping with Quinn. I would never do that to you."

"I know. You gave me your word, Sookie. And while I'm not sure what you've gained by imposing this distance on us, I hope that it has been worth it, because I have been miserable."

"Really? I find it hard to believe that this even registers with you." What did Eric care if I didn't see him, I was probably more nuisance than anything.

"You find what hard to believe? That I could have feelings for you? That I could miss you and want you and maybe love you?" He seemed to be getting angry. "Thanks."

"Oh, Eric, that's not quite what I meant. I just don't understand what we are to each other. One day, I'm an employee; your own personal telepath. The next, we're bonded by blood exchange. Days later, I'm your wife….in a ceremony that I didn't know I was participating in. Talk about whirlwind courtship, I didn't even know we were heading down that path. Tell me something. Do you love me? Or am I just great in bed?" We pulled up to my backdoor.

Instead of answering me, he handed me a box. I stared at it for a moment, unsure what to do. He stepped out of the car, opened my door and lifted me out.

"I asked you if you love me Eric…." He looked at me for a long moment, shook his head in what appeared to be disbelief or irritation and climbed back into his car. He drove off as I stood on the porch wondering what the hell had just happened. I stepped into the house, put my keys on the rack and began undressing. I carried the box up to my bed and got my pajamas on. After removing my makeup and brushing my teeth, I sat down to open the box. Inside were the diamond earrings that I'd admired at the auction. The only way he could have known that I was interested was that my pulse had quickened a little as I daydreamed about wearing them. I got up, took out my cell phone and called him.

"Yes?" He was back to being his dispassionate old self with me.

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He hung up. And with that, I realized that maybe Eric loved me too.

I was so grateful that Sam opened the bar late on Sundays. I could hardly sleep thinking about the evening I'd had with Eric. I had missed his smile, his laugh, and other things. I smiled to myself and put a load of work clothes in the dryer. I could still smell Eric's cologne on my shawl and I pressed it to my nose for the thousandth time. I was wearing it tied around my neck as a scarf so that I could do house work and still catch whiffs of his wonderful scent. I didn't know when I'd see him next, but I would call him tonight and maybe make plans to make that happen soon. If I wasn't smitten before, last night convinced me that Eric and I had something more than just a blood bond going on.

I heard a car approaching and was glad that I'd washed my Noxzema off. I looked out the window and saw Quinn climbing out of a silver Lexus. I decided to finish this once and for all. I threw the door open and met him on the porch before he could get to the door.

"Babe, before you ask why I'm here. I wanted to tell you that I bought a new house. I want you to come live with me. I'm dead serious. I will quit my job, if that's what it takes, but I can't stand the idea that I'm going to lose you to a dead guy. Think about it, Sookie. Please come be with me." He held out a set of keys and waited for me to take them.

"Quinn, I was wrong to lead you on. I was wrong to promise you things that I could never deliver. I really was a royal bitch to use you to make myself feel better about being away from Eric. I'm so sorry. You don't deserve to be treated that way. I know that you've had a tough life, I know that I haven't made it any easier, but I'm genuinely sorrier than I've ever been that I hurt you." I really was sorry. Quinn had only made the mistake of trying to be in love with me. He'd gone through so much being the Vampires property for three years. I had seen the movie _Gladiator _with Jason and Hoyt many years ago, but after I'd found out about Quinn, I thought of him as Maximus struggling to avenge his family. He thrust his hands into his pockets.

"So, that's it then. Eric calls, I'm out. Did you fuck him? Was it worth it? Did Eric tell you all the things you wanted to hear? Did he promise you the moon and stars?" I could feel his rage bubbling to the surface. "Where was Eric when your gutters needed to be cleaned? Who took care of you after the nightmares started up again?" He looked down at the ground. "You're right, I don't deserve to be treated this way. You're a miserable cold-blooded bitch. The two of you are perfect for each other." I pulled at the tails of my shawl and absorbed what he had to say. It was a long time coming. I had led him on and I'd been a piss-poor human being. Maybe in that respect he was right. Maybe I was becoming more vampire than human through my blood exchanges with Eric. I didn't recall ever being this mercenary about my feelings.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry. My relationship with Eric is complicated. I'm connected to him in ways that I can't describe."

"I could end that connection for you. If he was dead, you would be free of him."

"This is the second time you've threatened to hurt him." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "I don't want you to misunderstand me when I say that if something happens to him, I will make certain that you pay." I felt my fingernails dig into the soft skin of my palms and I knew that I'd drawn blood.

"Wow, he's really got you messed up." He took a step towards me and I took a step towards him. I wanted him to know that he wouldn't intimidate me even though I was shaking. "Just leave, Quinn."

"No problem, Babe. But I won't be your go-to guy when he dumps you for someone younger, and prettier."

"Thanks, but I really am done this time." He climbed into his car and slammed the door. I sat down on the porch steps and longed for Eric.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I have never been a clumsy waitress, so when I dropped the second platter of the night, I knew something was off. Sam heard the clatter of dishes and turned to see if maybe I was being harassed again. Certain customers got it into their heads that a waitresses' attention is best gained through a pinch to the bottom. This time, it was just an all over weakness that had me busting up china, and flinging fries. I had only felt faint a handful of times before, but last night, I had had a series of dizzy spells.

"Girl, are you all right?" Dottie Henstridge scooted up along side of me at the pass and reached over me for a new bottle of Heinz.

"Don't mind me, I'm just…overly tired I guess." I decided that if the dizziness didn't go away by the next day, I would see a doctor. Twice, I'd had to grab onto something to steady myself. I was also feeling weak and I would have given anything at all to just close my eyes. I called over to Terry that table one was holding on a side of curly fries. Sam came over to me holding my coat and purse.

"Sookie, you're done. I called Jason and asked him to pick you up. You're pale, you're swooning; I've seen you almost falling over out there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're pregnant." I opened my mouth to protest the impossibility of that, but I felt the barn doors closing in on me and my knees began to buckle.

"Oh, Lord, Sookie. I'll pay you for your full shift, but you've got to go on home and get better." Dottie brought me a cold towel and I laid it on my forehead. Right then I heard my name coming from the front door. Pam, Eric's second in command came into Merlotte's and the look on her face chilled me to my core.

"Sookie, you must come." She called.

She didn't have to say anymore. There was dried blood on her cheeks, hands and knees. Whatever she had been into, the outcome couldn't be good for anyone. I stood for a moment and shook my head, willing her back out the door. I wasn't going to be drawn into this, not tonight. Sam took up my defense.

"She can't go anywhere with you, can't you see how sick she is? This girl is unwell, she's going home to bed."

"Sookie is unwell because Eric is unwell."

"No, Pam, No. Please, not now. I'm so tired." But there was no pleading with the vampire. She took my bar towel from me and placed it on the counter.

"Sookie look at me, you must come." Her eyes became misted with pink, and I thought she was trying to glamour me. I took my coat and purse from Sam, and Pam half carried me out the door.

I didn't know if we were in her car, or a rental but the drying blood in the back seat was never going to come out. When she opened her door, the dome light showed an interior that could have passed for a scene from 'Halloween.' Tell me this wasn't Eric's blood. Tell me he just wanted to have a chat out at Fangtasia and that she had stopped to hunt on the way to Merlotte's. But I knew better, she had said as much.

"Pam?" My voice was tiny and weak with fear but I had to know what was happening to Eric.

"Eric is…we need for you to come now. I don't want to upset you."

"Just tell me." I felt my patience growing thin as I thought of the blood in the backseat. If she didn't tell me now, I would begin screaming.

"He was nearly drained. He is close to death and we want you to be with him at the end." She kept her eyes on the road ahead as we wound our way to Shreveport.

I had a million questions, but no sound would come out. How had someone captured Eric, a thousand year old vampire? If he had been drained, why was there so much blood in her backseat? Pam could sense my shock and that I was struggling with questions and she began to fill in the details.

"Late last night, someone attacked him. He had been nearly drained, and was left out to die when the sun arose. A young man had pulled over to relieve himself and he heard Eric groaning. If Eric had not been wearing a Fangtasia T-shirt, he would be dead now. The young man, Walter, I think, called the bar and told us he'd found a vampire wrapped in silver along Industrial Parkway. You can imagine how horrified I was to discover that he meant Eric."

She was looking at me out of the corner of her eye. I could tell that she was trying to gauge how much I could stand. She continued as I began to weep silently.

"Kellan, Eric's new bartender and I, hurried to the mile-marker where we met Walter. He'd found Eric's car pushed into a ravine, his car had been slammed into. Walter was courageous enough to unwrap the silver nets, but Eric was too far gone to be dangerous so he stayed with him. We got him home just before dawn. Kellan and I both tried to get Eric to feed, but we had to turn in. We got him into his –his sleeping space and got to bed ourselves. I had no idea what I'd find when we awoke this evening. Sookie, whomever attacked Eric stayed for a long time. To drain a vampire, one has to keep re-opening the cuts that he or she has made to let the blood flow. This wasn't a V dealer, this was someone who wanted Eric dead."

I thought to myself of the long list of creatures who might wish Eric to come to an end; most recently, Quinn. But how could someone have overpowered him? We made our way through bright city lights that gave way to fewer lights still. We turned down what appeared to be a country lane that ended at the steps of a stately manor. If this was Eric's home, what must he have thought of my little slice of Americana tucked into the back end of an aging cemetery?

I recognized the architecture from descriptions in my romance novels: the balconies, the stone staircase, the grand glass doors. This home screamed wealth, significance, endurance. An older man opened the door as Pam urged me ahead of her. I would not have been surprised if he'd been wearing a coat with tails. But as it was, he was the physician attending to Eric. Eric's condition must have taken a turn for the worst if the doctor was waiting for our arrival at the door.

"This is Ms. Stackhouse, then?" The doctor closed the door quickly and began to ascend the stairs. If I had been here under different circumstance, I might have had longer than a moment to appreciate how beautifully appointed Eric's home was. Candles in the foyer were warmly reflected off a crystal chandelier hanging above what could only be called a grand staircase. It appeared to be a bridge with two sets of stairs gracefully curving down at either end. Most of my downstairs would fit in his entryway.

There were leather sofas and rich walnut tables in the study to our left. To our right was a large dining room, which I'm sure was rarely used for anything other than housing century old furniture. The marble on the floors had deep veins of gold and red. There seemed to be a fire glowing in every fireplace and there was the warm smell of cinnamon blended with the rich wood smoke. As large as it was, Eric had made it feel cozy and welcoming. Not bad for a single man. I wondered what size staff was needed to maintain a home of this size. I also knew that if given the chance, I would love to wander these halls with him. I quieted my country mouse feelings and turned my thoughts to Eric, who may very well be dying a final death in one of these rooms. My stomach rose into my throat at the thought and I felt myself swaying again. I steadied myself and reached out for the wall.

I was still very weak, and Pam assisted me down a long, wide hallway and into a room with double doors. It was as still as church and just as lovely. There was a beautiful 12 ft. stained glass window in the marble bathroom to the left. A sunken roman style tub sat in front of it, surrounded by unlit candles and dozens of roses in colors I'd never seen. His bed sat on a high platform, with deep golden velvet draperies hanging from the ceiling. If all the draperies were pulled, you could wall off the world and sleep in peace and warmth. I was certain that Eric would have a safe sleeping nook, but this would be a great place to spend the last few hours of the evening before sleeping. I approached the carved Mahogany bed at the back of the room with trepidation; I didn't know what to expect. Eric lay motionless, and I gasped at the sight of him.

"Oh, Eric," his blond hair, dull and worn out as straw, fanned out around him. His cheeks were hollow; his closed eyes sunken, his arms were covered in deep cuts that were unable to heal because his blood had been flowing out of his body. He had purpled bruises where the silver had dug in and burned. No part of his body had escaped some form of torture or damage. I felt my knees give way again, and Pam was behind me before I could hit the floor.

"Shhh," She stroked my hair but not as one does when soothing a child, she would do the same if she were priming me for dinner.

"Eric?" I said softly, ascending the three steps to his bed. I just needed to see his bright blue eyes. If I could know that some part of him was intact, I could be okay. "It's me, it's Sookie." He did not open his eyes for me. I knelt in close and kissed his ear tenderly. "Eric, come on, you're scaring us all." I took off my shoes, threw my coat onto the floor and crawled in the bed beside him.

He was colder than I'd ever felt him. I threw myself around him hoping that warmth would help, but knowing that it wouldn't. All I could think to do then was offer him my wrist so that he could drink and begin to heal. I lay my wrist against his purple lips and waited for the sting. But it never came. I sat up a bit and looked at him, his fangs were barely run out but mostly retracted.

"He is too weak to bite." The doctor, who was himself a vampire, began motioning for Pam to come to him. I was glad for the moment of privacy so that I could say things to Eric that he'd never want anyone else to hear.

"Eric, it's me baby, it's Sookie. I know you can hear me. I need you to drink, okay? I need you to…" I became desperate. Because the look on the doctor's face and Pam's tears told me I was up against something big. For the first time in my life, I bit down on my own wrist. I cried out, but it was desperation more than pain. I couldn't let Eric go like this. I tasted pennies and knew I'd gotten a fair amount of blood flowing. I put my left wrist to his mouth and willed my heart to pump blood into him. Drops of my blood spilled onto his lips, and I felt his dry tongue brush against my wound briefly, then stop.

"No, Eric! Drink." But he was too weak. I put my wrist to my mouth and sucked as hard as I could. I filled my mouth with blood and placed my mouth on his. It was like kissing a statue. I did this several more times hoping that every drop would make a difference; that every drop would bring him closer to—

"Sookie, Dr. Armatrading suggests that we may be able to move him to a hospital that can transfuse him. We need your permission to move him. Do we have it?"

Needed my permission? That was insanity. Of course they should get him to a hospital.

"Permission? Pam, why? Why me?"

"You are his wife. It is publicly known now. I cannot make legal decisions for him."

"He and I never talked about this. It was just ceremonial. I told him as much."

" Vampire law works the same way as your laws. You are his legal next of kin. I know you don't recognize the pledge that you took, but he needs you right now. Don't fail him by quibbling over a minister and two handfuls of rice at some backwater city hall. No hospital that can care for him properly will treat him without your consent. That was why we sent for you. Can we please move him?" Pam was more insistent than I had ever seen her. We didn't have much time. I could feel my connection to Eric lifting as if I was watching a balloon fly away.

"Please take care of him."

"We are taking you, too. Who ever did this to Eric may be after you. He made me swear on my life that I would protect your interests as soon as you became pledged. I'm not about to let him down now." Pam was fiercely loyal, Eric made sure of that.

The doctor opened the doors to three orderlies that had been waiting outside with a stretcher. They carefully lifted Eric out of the bed, and onto the white sheets. I saw his arm drop over the side and I grabbed his hand. Suddenly, I didn't care who heard.

"Eric, I'm here. I won't let you go."

"S---Sookie S-----Safe?"

His voice was so thin and reedy that I could convince myself that I'd imagined it.

"I'm safe, and you're safe. I've got you and I won't let you go."

I held his hand in the windowless ambulance and I kept my other wrist pressed to his lips. I pressed in close to him whispering and reminding him that we had our whole lives together, that I was his and his alone.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

…_took a human for a wife. That's why. Stirring up trouble. _

I heard the nurse's thoughts as clearly as if she'd said it out loud, but I was too exhausted to care. Eric was being cared for and that's all that mattered. Dr. Armatrading explained that as Eric grew stronger, the needle would force its way out of his arm and that a nurse was needed around the clock to ensure that his transfusions continued. When I felt better, I would request a different nurse, a supernatural whom I couldn't hear. But now, I needed Eric to get blood. I had never seen him so inanimate before. Even at the hotel in Rhodes when I'd needed to wake him during the day to save his life, there was a spark there. As it was, if Eric had died his final death, I wouldn't know it until his body began to disintegrate and then it would be too late. Pam came in with a blanket for me. She was being protective and maternal; traits I had never seen her display. I looked up at her with mistrust. She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"Just take it." She sat down next to me as we watched the nurse hang another bag of blood on the pole above his head. The needle stayed in his arm the whole time, which was not a good sign. I kicked off my shoes and pulled the blanket up to my chin.

"Pam, can I ask you something?" I hadn't had much time to think since this began, but now that Eric appeared to be less critical, I could turn my thoughts outward. "What did Eric mean, when he asked if I was safe?"

"I don't know. The last time I saw him was in his office staring at the phone. He's been really distracted for the last two evenings. We had a crush of underage girls slip into the bar last night and while we were rounding them up, someone threw up on him. He'd gone to shower and change and I didn't see him again until he was on the roadside."

"It just doesn't make any sense. Why would he be out on the side of the road like that? Was he on his way to see me? Why wouldn't he have called to tell me unless he was summoned suddenly? No one has that kind of pull over him." Well almost no one. And sensing what I had just thought to myself, Pam amended:

"Félipe de Castro has that kind of pull over him. And so do you…" She looked at him lying on the bed, so still that you would think we should be looking at caskets.

"You don't think the king had anything to do with this, do you?" I was asking, but I knew the answer was probably a resounding no.

"Sookie, I don't know. I don't know anything except my maker is lying there next to death and I will be lost without him."

I didn't say anything else. I knew that she would suffer a great deal if Eric didn't make it. I thought about my own feelings about the situation and decided that she and I would be the only two guests at the world's largest Pity Party. I decided to reach out to Pam, as I never had before. I took her hand in mine and held it. At first, her head turned so violently that I thought I'd hurt her. But she realized that I was offering her my support, and she gradually sank further into her chair.

"Sookie?"

"Um-hmm?"

"Promise me something."

I felt the fear rise into my throat again, because I couldn't imagine refusing her, but I knew that Pam would gladly trade my life for Eric's.

"I will do my best."

"Stay with him."

I couldn't have been more shocked if she had begun to pirouette in front of me.

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Stay with him. You've changed him. I have known Eric for a very, very long time and you have made him into something more like what he was when we were younger. If you have any love for him at all, please Sookie, stay with him."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I didn't think Pam gave a flying fig about Eric's emotional well-being, no vampire would. But here she was playing the good daughter, sister, mother or whatever you could call their relationship.

There were no windows in this place, so I could not tell if it was dawn, but Pam knew. She stood suddenly and walked to Eric's bedside. I could not understand what it was that she said to him, but the way she said it let me know that it was some form of endearment or oath, maybe a bit of both.

She held his hand briefly, something I'd never seen the vampires do. She gave a short bow and looked at me.

"I don't know if you'd considered this, but if Eric does not make it through this day, you will have to help us decide what is best for his assets."

"I have never wanted anything from Eric. I'm not about to start now." Did the vamps really think that I saw Eric as a means to "Easy Street?" "For all I care, you can take it all and divide it amongst yourselves."

"Sookie, do not take what I say as an insult. Eric has made provisions for us. But as his wife…"

"Stop, okay? Stop saying that."

"Has it been so bad being his wife?"

"I'm struggling with the idea, is all. This wasn't a decision that I was part of. Call me old fashioned but I would have expected a hell of a lot more say about whom I chose to be married to. I also might have liked to be--"

"Be what? Swept off your feet? Get over it. You were dating a 1000-year-old man. You think he remembers what it's like to court a human? You think he knows the whims of a 27 year-old girl? Cut him some slack as they say. The last time he courted someone, he offered her father a fatted calf for her hand in marriage. I think you've done significantly better." And with that, Pam slipped out the door.

The nurse smirked at me and this time, I didn't care about being exhausted.

"Get out! Tell Dr. Armatrading that we'd like another nurse."

"Yes, Mrs. Northman."

I watched her leave and crossed the room to Eric's bedside. The room was appointed more like a hotel than any hospital I'd ever seen. More like an Extended Stay with a sofa, computer, flat screen TV. This one had a kitchenette for the human servants of their vampire residents. Bill had told me about these places, sort of nursing homes for sick vampires. I never thought that I'd see one personally. I wondered where I was and if we were still in Louisiana. The location of these hospitals is as closely guarded a secret as where a vamp's daytime resting place is located.

I thought about calling Jason so that he wouldn't worry. I should also probably call Sam Merlotte. Who knew how long I'd be away from the bar, my home, my life. I looked down at my –my what? Boyfriend didn't seem right we'd never really had a dating relationship. My lover? No, that was his term for me, but it felt awkward given that we were now legally bound, at least in the magical realms that he and I frequented. My vampire. I took his hand, leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He remained unresponsive.

"Eric, I really could use a wink, a smile, anything, just let me know that you're in there and that you're okay." I felt the slightest bit of pressure on my hand.

"Be okay, for me? I hate to admit it, but I can't imagine my life without you now. You just wormed your way in and---just don't die." For the second time this night, I slid into bed beside him. He couldn't move a muscle to encircle me like he did when we'd stayed together before. So, I pulled his right arm across his chest, being careful with his IV, and lay my head down on his shoulder as I held his hand up to my lips and kissed it.

"This will be the only time we are ever together in the daytime, my love."

I wished he could respond, I would love to hear a classic Eric quip right about now, but I would settle for having him still be alive when we awoke this evening. I closed my eyes and began drifting to sleep. According to the microwave, it was 6:10.

"Love……you…….Sookie."

My eyes flew open and suddenly sleep was the last thing on my mind.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

I don't recall drifting off, but I awoke to Pam asking if I wouldn't mind cleaning up for visitors. I sat up suddenly, checking to see if there was a change in Eric's condition.

"He's still with us, but he's weaker than we expected. Dr. Armatrading said that the blood he's been receiving is too new and will take forever to restore him. So, I made some phone calls."

"What time is it?" I was bleary eyed from crying and plain worn out. I had that groggy, disoriented feeling of one who has had fevered dreams. In my dream, Eric and I were trying to squeeze my house into his house so that I would be comfortable. I'd have to think about what that meant later. I tried to focus on the only clock in the room, the microwave.

"Is it really 7:30? Oh my gosh. And what did you mean by visitors? Who knows Eric is here?" I moved Eric's arm back across to his side of the bed. He hadn't moved an inch since this morning. I knew for sure that he could hear us, and I wanted to treat him as if he were in the room, but for the moment, I needed a shower.

"You get cleaned up, we'll talk later."

But what she hadn't considered is that I didn't have a change of clothing. I couldn't very well wear what I'd worked in and slept in. I thought about saying something to her about my situation when she slid a wheeled suitcase out of the closet and handed me the handle.

"Some of your things. I had Bobby Burnham contact Jason and that Shifter boss of yours. Your friend Tara is putting together an assortment of clothing and things you like to eat." And at the word eat, she made such a disgusted face that I laughed out loud. You would have thought that my idea of food was warmed shit-on a shingle.

I turned to Eric, "I'll be right over there in the bathroom, okay?" and I kissed him.

I didn't care that Pam was sighing behind me. Eric had told me that he loved me. I didn't know if he meant for taking care of him, or if he genuinely had feelings of love for me. I didn't care. The last person who had told me she loved me and meant it was Gran. I wasn't taking any expressions of love for granted these days.

The water felt so good, that I could have stayed in there for hours. But I didn't want to keep an impatient vamp waiting any longer than I had to. Pam was softening, but not enough to ever think that we'd really have anything but a mutual admiration for each other. I dressed quickly in jeans and a sweater. Keeping Eric warm was a priority right now and I planned on snuggling up right next to him as soon as our visitors left for the evening. I pulled my hair into two ponytails on either side of my ears; a style that I hadn't worn in years. If Pam thought I was being childish before…I stepped out of the bathroom and put a dab of perfume behind my ears. My brother wasn't smart about a lot of things, but I wouldn't have thought to pack perfume.

"Yes, very funny." Pam actually smiled at my joke and I left my playful ponytails to lift my own spirits.

" Do we have anything to offer our guests?" I checked the refrigerator in the kitchenette. It was fully stocked with _TrueBlood _. "What has Dr. Armatrading said about visitors? Would Eric really want to be seen incapacitated this way? I didn't think so. I turned to ask him, knowing that he probably couldn't respond.

"These visitors are not like your human visitors. They have not come to gape at Eric and wish him well, and pray this never happens to them. They have come because they owe fealty to their sheriff and he has need of their blood. Each has been donating blood since dusk to a supply set aside for him to speed his recovery. In exchange, he needs to know that they are sacrificing a part of themselves for him. He would do the same for his betters."

The door opened quietly and Dr. Armatrading came in. I pulled a chair up to Eric's bedside and raised his bed so that he could be seen in a better light. I used my best brush to try to arrange his hair into something less wild. At least the texture was improving and the color was coming back. This morning, it was fading to the color of oatmeal. I kissed his cheek and sat down. I wasn't sure what to expect from this ceremony, but I figured no one would expect me to know.

I held his hand and whispered to him softly. Pam stood behind me. I wished we didn't have to do this. While I couldn't read vampire minds, some of them were very vocal about vampire-human relationships. I hoped that considering Eric's condition, those who opposed our situation would keep their opinions to themselves. To my surprise, the first visitor was Eric's boss.

Félipe de Castro and his assistant, Victor Madden, strode into the room with such grace that it was hard not to be impressed. de Castro gave me a deep nod and Victor actually bowed slightly.

"Mrs. Northman, you have our sincerest wishes that Eric is returned to his full capacity as soon as possible." Again, with the Mrs. crap.

"Ms. Stackhouse is fine." I wasn't sure whether or not de Castro had anything to do with Eric being here in the first place. I returned his nod and bowed forward slightly. Eric would want me to.

"Have I misunderstood something about your relationship with Mr. Northman?"

"Uh, no. Not exactly." I averted my eyes as Victor shook his head at me.

The king then did something I was sure was significant. He removed a ring from his right hand and placed it on Eric's. Pam's eyes widened, and I felt panic circling like the familiar buzzard that it was becoming. Victor kissed the ring and they stepped towards me.

"If he needs anything at all, just call us." The king took my hand and pressed a gold card into it. It was embossed with a phone number, it looked like a gold credit card.

I gave Pam a "what the Hell just happened" look and she bowed to the king, pulling me down with her.

" The king has made a grand gesture towards Eric, that if anyone should try to harm him, and by extension you, he or she will answer to all the North American Kings and Queens."

"That's pretty impressive." I didn't know what to say. Eric had engendered so much respect from his superiors that they extended a consideration that they usually reserved for their own "children." My respect for the king tripled at that point. Victor and the king turned and left as quickly as they'd come in.

Pam grabbed my arm suddenly.

"Was it necessary to correct the king about your relationship with Eric?"

"Pam, you're hurting my arm. We aren't exactly living in wedded bliss. I don't think he'll care."

" You made Eric look like a liar and a fool."

I thought about this for a moment realizing that I had let my stubborn streak get Eric into some hot water with his boss. I tucked the gold card into the zippered pocket of my purse and shrugged at her.

"I didn't know. He and I haven't really talked about this whole thing." She glared at me coldly and stepped into the hall to manage the queue of vampires lined up to pay their respects. No one believes in the social strata like Vampires.

I spent the next 2 hours greeting a procession of the undead, ranging from the very young, whose blood was almost useless to Eric, to the very old such as Thalia who resented being dragged away from the bar for an evening, but decided it was in her best interest to show some respect. It was rumored that she was as old, if not older than Eric. I imagined that her blood would give him a boost, like cocaine in humans.

Our new nurse changed Eric's blood bag once more. He was actually getting pinker, and his cheeks seemed to be filling out. Another day or two of the older blood and Eric would be right as rain.

When I was about as sick of vampires as a body can be, the last stepped through the door. Really? I thought. He'd had my blood, so he knew that I was exasperated by his presence, but I couldn't exactly turn him away. He'd saved my life some months ago. I can't say I wasn't grateful. After the silver poisoning, Bill seemed more tentative, as if something in him hadn't totally healed right. But he wasn't my concern anymore.

"Evening, Sookie." He had brought Eric a gift and he set it down on the table beside the bed.

"Hello, Bill." I tried to keep any and all emotion out of my voice, but I wasn't expecting him, and it took a lot of effort.

" How is he?" Bill came to Eric's side and looked down at him. I felt something protective spring up and I wondered if this was my own genuine emotion, or if I was mirroring something in Eric. I decided I was not being polite and I offered Bill a drink. I warmed some blood in the microwave and turned on the TV in the adjoining living area. Bill was blathering on about going to Europe and documenting the vampires of Great Britain. I felt boredom and desperation seize me like a hand and realized that this time, I was mirroring Eric's feelings. He was getting stronger after all. I pointed the remote at the TV, turning it off, and faced Bill again.

"Bill, thank you for coming. I really appreciate it and so does Eric, but we would really like some time alone."

A shadow crossed Bill's face. I hadn't meant for my words to hurt him, but I didn't know how else to say it. I was Eric's now and Bill was partly to blame for that. I think he understood my intentions rather than my words.

"Bill, I'm sorry, that was hurtful." I hated that I still cared, but part of me understood that he had had to go to Lorena. She was his maker and it was compulsion. Eric had explained that to me at Fangtasia once. "We really are grateful that you came out tonight."

Bill looked forlorn suddenly and took both my hands in his.

"I wasn't able to donate blood to Eric because of the traces of silver in my muscle tissue. I will always be a little weaker and slower than I was before. But I owed it to you to make sure that you are all right. I didn't come here for him. I came here for you. I also want you to understand that he didn't win you from me fair and square. And I'm not totally sorry that this happened to him."

"You really should be going, Bill." I sensed something wild and dangerous brewing in Bill, but Eric was not lying peacefully by either. His eyes flew open and I sensed that he was angry and frustrated. "Really, Bill. Thank you for the gift, thank you for checking on me, but I'm fine." The two glared at each other in a way that reminded me of when Quinn showed up at my house unexpectedly. Bill kissed my forehead and walked towards the door. "Enjoy your sham of a marriage, Mrs. Northman." He said that last thing with so much venom that I actually shivered. Pam came in before the door had closed all the way and declared Bill the last vampire in line. I walked to Eric's side and he lifted his arms to me. He was getting stronger now, and I was glad to see that he was awake but he had a very long way to go before he would be fully recovered. I got in the bed and he held me close. Quite suddenly, I was sobbing. He pulled me in closer and made shushing sounds.

"Sookie," Eric's voice was sandpapery and raw. I shook my head.

"Don't talk, I'm okay. I'm just glad you're going to live. I was so, so worried about you." And I was. I felt relief wash over me in a way that I realized Eric was sharing. He too had been afraid. I'd been holding my breath for two days and it felt good to let everything out.

"Pam?" Eric said a few words to her in an ancient sounding version of Swedish and she raised her eyebrow at me. I tried to read between the lines of what had just occurred between them but she was gone before I could get a good read on either one.

"I know that Bill is unhappy and jealous but to call our relationship a sham is too much." I shouldn't have cared what Bill thought, but what did he know about our relationship?

"He has heard it from the tiger that I did not consult with you before announcing our changed relationship."

" I would have agreed had you asked, you just never think to ask me."

We sat quietly for nearly an hour. I wanted to tell him that I didn't mind so much; I loved him. I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but I was afraid that he didn't actually love me. I was concerned it was gratitude masquerading as love, that or lust. He sensed my shifting emotions of course, but why couldn't I sense how he felt about me. Was it this way for him too?

"Lover, why does it bother you so, when someone calls you Mrs. Northman?" Are you that unhappy with me?"

I realized that of course he had heard my conversation with Pam, and the king.

"I've told you before, I'm unhappy with how you handled it. I want to be consulted about decisions that affect me." I also wanted to know if I was a trophy being passed between Eric and the rest of the supernatural community; at least that was my fear when he banished Quinn.

"There wasn't time to consult you. Victor Madden showed up in Shreveport and I had to act fast. He came here to take you; to take you away from me and I couldn't allow it. I knew you would hate that. Yes, I was selfish, but I'm not sorry."

He stared at me intently, waiting for a response, but I didn't have one. I suspected that Eric had arranged things so that he was my only possible suitor. Had I been duped after all?

I didn't speak for a long time. I was so confused. I had been through a spectrum of emotions in the last 48 hours.

"My love, what did you think of my home?" He had nearly died and he was worried whether or not I liked his house.

" Um, what I saw was lovely." I couldn't hide the contempt in my voice. Why were we having this conversation now? Didn't we have important things to discuss, like how I could get out of being Mrs. Northman until I had a say-so in the matter. I just wanted to be asked, I wanted to know for sure that he loved me, not the idea of me.

" It's yours." I had wandered off mentally and it took me a moment to come back to what he was saying.

I pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. "I don't know what you're playing at Eric, but I don't need a house, I have a house. And it's in Bon Temps, not Shreveport."

"I want you to live with me. I want us to be a proper couple, husband and wife…Have I said something wrong?" He could tell that I was teetering towards upset. I'm sure this was every girl's dream to have a big house in the country, an attentive man. But it was hurried and it felt controlled. What would he gain by playing house with me. I certainly didn't want to be "collected" if that was what I was to him. I climbed out of the bed and pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"Listen Eric, my Gran taught me that if a man is in an all-fired hurry to get you to marry and settle down, that that's a good reason to put the brakes on and slow things down. What's got you in the marrying mood?" If this was a reaction to a near death experience, I really wasn't interested. As it was, we were only pledged to stop de Castro from summoning me to Nevada whenever he damned well pleased. I was coming to understand that while the super naturals claimed to like me, they valued what I could do for them far more. I wasn't sure if Eric was above trying to use me for his own purposes. Locking me up in his gilded cage was still a cage and that was about as romantic as a fig Newton as far as I was concerned. Maybe I was wrong to hold out for romance. But I wanted what I wanted and I would have it. I had hoped that I could delay this conversation until he was stronger and when I could be sure that he was not just reacting to almost dying permanently.

"You're not thinking clearly, you don't want me in Shreveport with you."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you there. I need to be able to protect you."

"Like when Lochlan and Neave took me?" I felt myself getting upset again. I'd felt abandoned by Eric and he still hadn't told me why he wasn't able to help me that day.

Something in his expression changed. It was out on the table and I couldn't take it back. I tried to climb back into the bed with him, but he rolled toward the wall and put his back to me.

"Sookie, I'm really tired. Can we agree to talk about these things some other time?" His gesture of turning away let me know that he was finished talking about our relationship for a while. We had probably strayed into treacherous waters too soon. He was vulnerable and I hadn't made it any better bringing up the fairy incident. All I could figure was Eric felt powerless and I reminded him of his failure to protect me. I was his wife as everyone kept insisting.

I watched him carefully as he sank down into the blankets. I hadn't ever seen him this shaken. Something occurred to me as I watched him.

"Did you mean it when you said you love me? Or were you just saying that out of gratitude?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Pam knocked lightly as she entered which I'm sure is not something she would ever have to do if I weren't present. Eric rolled over and there was a single streak of blood on his cheek.

"Not now, Pam." Eric stared at me and I stared right back. Was he really crying?

I found that difficult to believe, but he had been through so much this year, a shift in his social and financial status, a wife he didn't really want and now this.

"Has something changed, Master Eric?" Pam was half concealed by the door as if she was hiding something. Eric growled a low sound that actually scared me a little and I took a step back.

"It's okay Pam," I said. "I'm going out for a walk."

"I'll go with you. It'll give Eric some time to rest and to think." I saw her fumbling with something behind her back but I was concerned with Eric.

I crossed the room and kissed the trail left on his cheek. He didn't have blood to spare, so I tried to calm him. He looked at me confused, but still angry. I didn't want to fight with him. Especially not so soon after nearly losing him. I think our nerves were raw and we were both too close to the picture to see clearly.

"Just rest. I wasn't trying to hurt you." I kissed his mouth waiting for a response but got none. I whispered that I loved him as our lips parted. His jaw clenched and he turned away. Pam and I walked out into the hall. I hadn't been out of his room for two days and it felt good to step back and assess where I stood with him. I broke the silence once we were out of earshot of Eric's room.

"Pam, have you ever been in love? I mean, really, fantastically in love?"

She lowered her head as we walked and I feared for a moment that I'd hit on a sore subject.

"Yes, Sookie," she paused for a long second. "I have. And I would have done anything to keep what we had. But I was stubborn, hotheaded and young….like you."

I didn't think I was being hotheaded or foolish. I was protecting myself.

"You're going back on your promise, aren't you?" She looked more disappointed than anyone I'd ever seen, including Eric.

"No, Pam, I'm not. You of all people should understand. Didn't you tell me you were sneaking out to meet a man when Eric turned you? You were trying to control your own destiny. That's all I've ever wanted. Ever since I got tangled up with the supes, someone has been making plans for me without ever asking me what I want. If I'm so all fired crappy at making my own decisions, then cut me loose and find another telepath to do your dirty work." We crossed the lobby into a conservatory filled with flowers. "And where was he anyway? He keeps saying that he will explain why he sent Bill to rescue me. I didn't want Bill. I wanted Eric. Why won't he explain any of this to me? I know you all think I'm not as bright as you--"

"No one thinks that." Pam was at my right elbow while I leaned in smelling the most exotic of the lilies. "You have gained so much respect from so many creatures who don't ordinarily give humans the time of day. To your credit, you have the support of one of the most powerful kings in the New World. Eric would move the Heavens for you and you throw that back in his face. I don't get it. When will it ever be enough for you? He takes good care of you, Sookie. He rearranges his life when you call. He has honored you by pledging marriage to you, a human. He is willing to love you and lose you to your mortality. For the first time in ages, he has given his heart away and you hand it back because of the wrapping? Maybe he did misjudge you. I certainly did."

That hurt. I actually felt my breath catch in my throat. I felt tears pooling in my eyes and when I turned to my right, she had already gone. I stood for a moment thinking about the last few minutes that had just passed. Then I considered the past two days, and the past two years. Eric had been the only constant; the one thing that I could count on. Bill lied, cheated, raped and mangled me. Quinn disappeared and reappeared with so much baggage, our lives would be a of managing someone else's problems. I had to admit, when I thought about it, the one man who consistently loved me, whether he said it or not, had been Eric.

My heart ached for him suddenly at how awful I'd been. I pulled a calla lily from the display, hoping that no one would mind theft in the face of forgiveness. I rode the elevator back to our room, sniffing the lily and thinking about adjusting to my role as Mrs. Eric Northman. I exited the elevator and reached for the handle to Eric's door. Pam pulled the door from my hand and before I could steady myself, I nearly fell into the room. I dropped the lily while I grabbed at the wall.

"I know you weren't expecting me back so soon..." I saw the expression on Eric's face and he wouldn't make eye contact with me. "I have something I'd like to say, Pam if you'd excuse us please."

"I'm not going anywhere. He doesn't want to hear what you have to say. I have advised him to release you and I think that he has finally agreed with me." She stood in my way, and I couldn't see him.

"Eric, is this true?' I couldn't believe that things could go this horribly wrong in one evening.

"I'm releasing you from your pledge to me. I'm sorry that I forced you into a marriage that you weren't ready for. You are free to see whomever you like. I only need you to sign papers for the Vampire Council declaring that you and I are no longer wed. I'll have them sent to your home. I've arranged transportation back to Bon Temps for you, and you can expect a payment for your lost wages." He never looked up from the bed as he said these things to me.

"Eric, what are you saying? No longer wed? Wait, what is this? What are you saying? Are you dumping me? That's it? Can't we just talk?" He stared at his hands silently. " I made a mistake. I don't know how you feel about me, Eric and why you're so interested in keeping me tied to you. I just want to talk. I've been having s. I get closer and closer to dying each time and you're never there. I'm so afraid that you won't ever be there. Pam, please leave."

She scowled at me as Eric said firmly, "As your maker, I command you to stay here in this room." She was immediately rooted to the spot.

"Fine, I don't care if she does hear me. I am here because I love you, and

I just want to understand your motives. Eric, you're making a mistake."

"You won't be the last." He stared at a spot of my blood on his bed. My wrist had broken open again, this morning. I would have given anything for it to be just one hour ago. I tried to cross the room towards him, but Pam was very fast, and very efficient. She could make it so that I never saw him again.

"Don't do this, don't listen to her. She's wrong. You're wrong about me. I'm not taking for granted all the things that you have done for me. I just want to explain why I'm being so cautious. Eric, please…?" They both went immobile and I knew it was hopeless. A sob tore from my throat. I had lost him after all. I bent over and picked up the calla lily. "Why can't you just tell me what I am to you? Why didn't you come for me? If you loved me, you would have been there. Do you love me? Even a little bit? Bill was there."

"Bill was there because I sent him there!" Eric had never yelled at me before. I knew I was making things worse, but I couldn't stop. It was as if the last few months had just burst open and I had to understand. I needed the nightmares to stop. Maybe I was just a project for him. Maybe winning me from Bill and Quinn was the goal and now that he had achieved that, he didn't want me anymore.

"You'll never know how sorry I am that we ended this way." I stared at the lily in my hand for a moment longer then I tossed it towards him. Pam caught it and crushed it in her palm. I turned and ran, not knowing where I was or how I would get home but knowing that I just didn't care.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I ran blindly down the stairwell hoping I didn't run into anyone else wandering the halls. I could hardly see as I wiped tears away. I stumbled and sat on the steps, wondering what my next move would be. My vampire was mine no more. Had I really been such a brat that he wouldn't even discuss this with me? What had Pam said that made him completely turn against me? I felt an overwhelming crush in my chest. Was this what Eric was feeling too? I couldn't leave things this way, yet I was too embarrassed to go back to his room. I didn't need to beg him to treat me like one of his sired underlings, but I had never been one to accept no for an answer. I had to fight for what I wanted. I had to fight for my love.

I let myself cry harder than I've ever cried. I put my forehead on my knees and wailed, not caring that I could hear myself in the echoing hallway. I didn't know if I felt this so strongly because I was feeling my emotions as well as Eric's, or if heartbreak was just this damned bad.

I sat that way until I was shaking with cold, my bare feet nearly numb. I knew that my face was puffy. My vision was blurred from crying so hard. Yes, I could admit that I loved him, I loved him still, but if he only wanted me to keep me from his competitors, then I could get over him. I went over our relationship in my mind. There always seemed to be an ulterior motive, some side benefit that he gained from, and I fell into his arms in a moment of vulnerability. We were both vulnerable. Maybe that was the Eric that I was truly in love with. The one who sat with me by the fire in my living room, talking for hours about what I'd wanted to be when I grew up, my earliest memories of my mom and dad. Being held in my little bed by Jason when we got the call that my parents had died.

I cried even more at the thought that I had shared so much with him, and that he wasn't quite the same Eric. Sure, he remembered our time together, but it hadn't seemed to make a difference in how he felt about me.

I heard footsteps approaching and I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my sweater. I stared down at my bare feet and wondered at what kind of sight I was sitting in a vampire nursing home, barefoot and crying my head off.

"Sookie?" I knew it was Bill Compton before I'd even heard his voice. He was the last of God's creatures that I wanted to see at that moment. I put my hands up to my eyes and tried to shield my feelings.

"I thought you'd gone already, half-way to Bon Temps by now."

"No, I had some business dealings with a vampire from Alameda that came by to give blood. Reginald? Dark haired fellow with the lisp."

I remembered that his eyes were tiny and looked like black marbles tucked into biscuit dough.

"What's got you in the stairwell crying? I thought you and Eric were having "alone time."

I really did not want to have this conversation with Bill. Was he really going to rub it in my face that I was a stupid girl, naive enough to think that someone as old, wealthy and sophisticated as Eric would genuinely have an interest in me? Pam had called it. I was envisioning a minister in my little backwater city hall announcing to all the world that I was Eric's and he was mine. I needed that validation, otherwise I was just another fangbangin' waitress who had gotten in over her head. He realized that I was mulling over the implication of what he'd said. He tried to make nice by taking one of my hands away from my eyes.

"Sookie, Eric is a creature of habit. He is a collector of things and experiences. When you are as old as he, what else is there to do?"

"Is that what the Queen told you when she asked you to do the same with me?"

I didn't care about his feelings just now. He had no room to talk on this front.

"I'm only trying to make you understand. He is an artist at seduction. You aren't the first woman he has led down the primrose path. He does this, and he is famous for his, shall we say, skills with a woman. Why do you think that witch Hallow risked so much to bed him. Women want to collect him too."

"Bill Compton, the things you know about women wouldn't fill a thimble, so before you get all high and mighty about what Eric is or is not up to, think about your own motives for wanting to spend time with me."

"Yes, at first, I was doing my job. But I came to understand you. That's what you will never have with him. He doesn't care what you think or what you want. He only wants a pretty thing to show off and that you are a telepath is so much the better. Let me take you back to Bon Temps. You have friends and family waiting for you, who won't judge you for your fascination with Eric. Remember, he tricked you into this arrangement. You don't have to stay."

"But I want to stay! You don't get it. I love him, Bill. In my quietest moments, when all I can hear is the sound of my blood, his blood in my ears, I know that I love him. You don't know anything about him. You don't know the first thing about us."

"I know that he has confused you by giving you his blood. I know that he has bargained with others for your services. I know that he has sent you away now that he has no use for you. Is that about right? Is that why you're out here in the hallway sobbing, wondering how the Hell you're going to put the pieces of your tiny life back together now that the Viking Vampire Sheriff is done playing with you."

I'm not ashamed to say that I hit him as hard as I could. Not that it made a bit of difference but it felt really good.

"If this is your idea of what it means to be my friend, then I don't need you. I don't need you taking pot shots at me while I'm down. But then, that's all I can expect from you. You're so caught up with jealousy for everything that Eric has, not just me. This is older than me, isn't it? You've seen him so beautiful, so desired, so well liked, respected and rich while you scraped around the world with Lorena. Don't you dare make this about me. And for your information, he has given me more than you ever did. And I don't mean financially, although I haven't done too badly in his company. If you thought that you'd come find me and sweep me off to Bon Temps draped over your arms like some Civil War bride, you're sadly mistaken." I stood to leave. "Eric and I will be together. You'll see. And just so we're clear, I don't ever want to lay eyes on you again."

I put my back to him and began to climb the stairs.

"So, you're going back for more?" He grabbed my arm and tried to turn me towards him. "Well, we'll see how you feel after you've spent your prettiest years locked up in that glorified jail cell he calls his precious Ravenwood."

I looked back at him over my shoulder. He'd echoed my very own concerns about what it meant to be Eric's wife. What would my role be in his world? I stared at him for a solid moment and I could see that he was wishing that he hadn't pushed me quite so far. What a different man than the one who'd walked into Merlotte's that summer evening what felt like a century ago.

"That glorified jail cell to which you refer, Mr. Compton is mine. It was a wedding present to me from my husband." I didn't wait to see his expression. I was resolute. I marched back to the elevator and punched the up button.

I turned to go down the hall to Eric's room and hesitated outside the door. Surely he would sense my presence, but I would not be sent away, not like this. I didn't bother knocking.

"No," I said flatly. " I don't accept this. I don't want this. You don't want this."

I have never been more determined in my life, if only just to prove a point to Bill. I locked the door behind me and took a step towards Eric. I felt his surge of relief that I had returned. Pam was in Eric's arms and he was about to feed from her. I hadn't realized that I had gasped out loud. I stood, stock still while he sank his fangs into her. She had opened her collar to him and exposed her pale neck. I felt jealousy seize my throat but I wouldn't let that stop me. Pam was momentarily incapacitated by Eric. I met his gaze and he seemed to suck more deeply as if to taunt me. Pam moaned, either from pleasure or pain, but he was my vampire and this was not okay.

"Eric," I pulled my sweater over my head, exposing a white satin bra that was offset by my ever-present tan. He stopped drinking for a moment; I had gotten his attention. He sank his teeth into her again, and this time, I saw her eyes roll up to the ceiling. I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, letting the white satin undies peek through the opening. Eric liked it better when he had to work at it a bit. Pam's fangs extended and I could see that I'd gotten her attention as well. But I focused on Eric.

"I'm yours, all you have to do is ask." I turned my back to him and undid my bra. I slid it off and tossed it onto the bed beside them. He would drain Pam if he wasn't careful. I didn't care. I wiggled my hips like I'd seen the cage dancers at Fangtasia. I pulled my ponytails out and let my hair fall around my shoulders. He was watching intently now. He let Pam go slightly and stopped drinking. She lowered her head to take in the view. I danced to music in my head, knowing this was my only chance to make things right between us. I slithered and snaked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of the synthetic blood. Not bothering to heat it, I opened the bottle, put it to my lips and let some spill all over my lips and breasts. I smeared blood over the carotid artery in my neck, the fat one that vampires love so much. I knew they could see my heart beating in that artery. If I wasn't careful, I'd be attacked by Pam, which wasn't what I was after. I knew he needed blood, but in a moment of arrogance, I gambled that he'd want fresh blood from the woman he loved, not his employee.

I dipped my finger in the bottle and brought my finger to my lips. I painted it on like lipstick, circling my mouth, then sucking my own finger greedily. I dipped my finger again and made a blood trail between my breasts, and down to my navel. I couldn't tell which of the two was more aroused but I kept at it.

"I love you, and you want me…I want you just as much. Just ask, Eric. Ask me to come to you." He wasn't used to asking for anything; this Viking was used to taking what he wanted, but in his weakened state, he couldn't even stand on his own. I saw him lick his lips. Pam actually arched her back like a cat needing to be petted. She was angry that my seduction of Eric was working. She was angry that it was working on her too. I had to get him to make her leave.

"Eric, my lover, my husband. Ask her to go. Ask her to go and I'll come to you. I need you, now. You know my blood is sweet and warm, just like you like it. " I slid my jeans down around my hips and stepped out of them. He bit his lower lip and I saw a streak of blood in the corner of his mouth. When I'd said husband, his eyebrows shot up. This turned him on as much as my dance. I pulled the waistband of my panties away from my hips a little, exposing the soft curls below. I challenged Pam directly.

"Please leave us, Pam. Let me have my husband to myself." He was getting a thrill from it. I felt a wave of exhilaration and my courage came back in spades. "Now, Pam. He needs me. Don't you, baby?" She tore her gaze away from me and looked at him. She couldn't deny the expression she saw on his face as she gathered her blouse around her neck and got up to leave. I stepped aside to give her room to pass me but before I could stop her, she licked my neck, and bit me softly.

"If you hurt him, I will end you…and it will be a pleasure. You are _very_ sweet."

I took a chance and kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"I would expect you to." I smiled at her as sweetly as I could, but I needed her to leave. I was going crazy with lust for him and I could sense his arousal.

She turned to Eric and asked, "Would you like me to leave the box with you, Sheriff?"

"Yes," he nodded not taking his eyes off me. I moved my hips back and forth as fluidly as I could. His eyes followed my every movement. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I almost had him back. I took another drink and let my tongue linger on the lip of the bottle. I made the tiny whimpering sound that I make that almost always makes him come when we make love. The corners of his lips rose slightly and I knew he recognized the sound.

"Lock the door on your way out, Pam." She did not like being dismissed, but she had no choice. She would have to find another outlet for her sexual frustration this night. I sensed that she was trying to communicate a silent message to him, but he never looked at her. She turned quickly, took a burgundy box that looked like chocolates from her bag, and laid it on the table next to him.

As soon as the lock snicked shut, I turned to him.

" I love you, Eric Northman. You know what I want to hear. Just ask me to come to you and I will be yours forever. I promise." I lifted my hair from my shoulders, exposing my neck and giving him an excellent view of my full breasts.

He raised his hand, "Come to me, lover." I took my time. We had come so close to losing each other, I wanted to be sure this was really happening. I reached out and took his hand. He pulled me gently to him, and I climbed onto him, straddling his waist. He was too weak to be fully aroused, but I could tell that he was very close. He pulled me in close and nuzzled my neck.

"Eric, you know what I want to hear." He ran his tongue from my collarbone to my left ear and whispered softly. "I love you, Sookie." I felt his tongue trace the lobe of my ear and back down to my neck. I rocked my hips gently, mimicking one of our favorite positions. He responded by dragging his fangs across my left breast.

"Take my blood, Eric." I tilted my head so that he would be comfortable.

"Soon." He held me gently and kissed my neck so tenderly. I loved the feeling of his tongue on my skin, his fangs barely scraping as he took his time with me. He began licking a spot that pulsed under his tongue. I felt my heartbeat increase, and he became more erect beneath me. I moaned and pulled his ring finger into my mouth, sucking it gently. He understood the significance of what I was doing, and he took my ring finger into his mouth. We stared at one another for a long minute and he smiled at me, rolled me over and swatted my bottom. I giggled as he laid me next to him.

"You bad, bad girl."

"You love that about me."

"I do love that about you. I love everything about you." He kissed my fingers and my palm. He licked my wrist and I felt the punctures from my dull teeth begin to heal a little.

"You need to feed, Eric take it from me."

"I want you. I want all of you but you need to know that you are everything to me. I don't take that lightly. If you want out, I will understand. Being with me is not going to be an easy life for you. I don't want you to hate me in 20 years that you were never able to have my child. That I can't ever take you on picnics and to the beach and all those other things that I want for you. I don't want you to catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and see how time has changed you, but not me. My beloved, I can't do that to you if I know that there is the slightest chance that you will hate me for it."

"We will work some things out. Yes, my life will be different, we can picnic at night under the stars, I've never been to the beach so I don't care. It will be different, but it will never be dull and that would be worse for me. Eric, I nearly lost you, and that was scarier to me than anything that you are talking about. I don't even know if I want children. But I do know this; I've never loved anyone the way that I love you. I've never wanted another man so completely as the way that I want you." I lifted my mouth to his and kissed him warmly. He caressed my cheek as he deepened our kiss.

"My wife." I felt his pride and contentment and I let him feel my joy. It was the second time he'd called me that and I felt heat spread through my hips and lower. He sat up slowly and reached for the box that Pam had left him. I sat up, curious as to what he had been fussing with, and saw him lift the lid. Tucked inside seemed to be some odds and ends like you'd see in a hope chest. Eric took my left hand and held it.

"If you would care to be Mrs. Northman in the eyes of the great state of Louisiana, as well as the rest of the world, I would be honored if you would wear this ring." I smiled up at him and nodded to him that I would. My vampire had asked me to marry him.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" We kissed, tenderly at first, then much more fevered. He was gaining some of his strength back and I wanted him desperately.

"Make love to me, Sookie." He lay on his back and I slipped my panties off. It took a few minutes to maneuver his thin pajama pants off, but we managed. He used the remote to lower the head of our bed so that we would be more comfortable. I slid up his cool body, to his mouth, coaxing his tongue with mine. I dug my fingers into his hair, pulling him up towards me. He kissed my breasts, one after the other. I felt his pressure growing against my thigh. I took his manhood into my hand and stroked him lovingly.

How I loved this man.

I placed him against my heat and slid him inside me. We clutched each other tightly as I rode him slowly at first. He ran his hands up my spine, kissing every inch of my exposed skin. He moaned so deeply that I felt it vibrate through me. He lifted his hips to get himself deeper into me and I inched down further onto him. This was make-up sex at its best. I saw his ring glinting on my finger. We were really going to make this work.

"Lover, I need to taste you, may I?"

"You never need to ask again, I'm yours, Eric. Every bit of me." I sped up so that I would reach my moment when he bit into me. This was so good, so perfect.

"Baby, take as much as you need." He stared up at me with his blue, blue eyes.

" I can make this so good for you that you will beg me to bite you every night."

"What do you mean?" It was already an amazing feeling.

"The stronger our love, and the more frequently we exchange blood, the less it hurts for you. I am becoming a part of you and you a part of me."

"Then bite me, love." I saw his fangs flash, and I touched them briefly. I loved running my tongue over his fangs. They were so long and sharp, but he was so skillful at making sure that he never accidentally hurt me with them. He drew himself up and licked my neck. I moaned out loud.

"Yes, baby, right there." I closed my eyes, waiting for his fangs to sink into the crook of my neck.

"I love this," he whispered. "I love that you are mine and that I can have you every night if I like."

"Oh, Eric." I felt myself getting dangerously close to the edge. He held onto me more tenderly than he'd held Pam and I barely felt his fangs sink into my skin. I rode him faster and faster while he drank from me.

"Take me, Sookie."

I moved urgently, and wrapped myself around him. He pressed his mouth to my neck again. He exploded inside me as I clamped down and bit his neck. I hadn't meant to bite him, but he felt so good. We rocked that way until we couldn't sit up any longer. I collapsed onto him, and pulled the sheet up over me.

"No. Don't cover yourself, you're beautiful."

"I'm also cold, baby." He wrapped me in the sheet and the thin hospital blanket.

If there were patients on either side of our room, they surely got an earful. Eric and I have never made love quietly.

We lay together, exhausted, but in love.

"So, Mr. Northman, if you're so sure you want to marry me officially, how about tonight?" I wound a lock of his hair around my finger. I let him see the interlocking gold rings that he'd placed on my finger.

"Not until I can stand beside you without being held up. There is time for that, no one who would harm us knows where we are. We're safe."

"Eric, do you have any idea who attacked you?" I saw him grit his teeth as he remembered lying helpless by the road.

"I don't want to talk about that." I sensed his anger welling up.

"But we need to punish-" I could tell by his expression that I wouldn't get anywhere with this. I didn't want to spoil the good feelings that we had worked so hard to achieve.

"When you're ready, I'm here." I stroked his head and kissed him lightly. "It will be daylight soon, I suppose. Would you mind if I went out for a bit? I don't want to leave you, but I need a few things." Mostly, I wanted to find a ring for him.

"Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind you going out, but I don't like the idea of you traveling alone. I will make some calls." He reached across me to get his cell phone from my nightstand. I kissed his chest as he reached. He made a few calls to his employees, one to Bobby Burnham, who I personally despised, and a few others who were Russian I think. I lay in his arms while he finished his calls. Then he was quiet. I often wondered what a vampire thought about during "down-time" as I called it. I ran my hand lightly over his chest.

"Are you really mine, Sookie? Really and truly?"

"Yes, Eric. Really and truly for all time." I wasn't sure where he was going with this, I'd never seen him so unsure.

"Then I'd like to ask that you not continue to see Quinn." He spoke quietly, but I could tell by his tone that he was very serious.

I sat up and looked at him so he could see how serious I was too. "I had no intention of ever seeing Quinn again. If you're sure that this marriage is what you want and you're not just doing this to protect me from de Castro, then I swear to you on my life that I won't see him, or any other man again. This isn't a business arrangement for me, I happen to love you, Eric."

"It has been a very long time since…." His voice trailed off and my heart broke for any time that he spent lonely.

"Not anymore. I'm here now."

"Do you trust me, Sookie?"

"Yes, Eric, I trust you with my life."

He reached for the burgundy box again and pulled out a slender glass vial with a gold stopper. It was mounted to a gold chain, but was too large to be worn around the neck. It was filled with what appeared to be really old blood that was nearly black. I frowned because I suspected where he was going with this.

"Would you take one drink of this for me if I asked you to?"

"May I ask what I'm drinking or is that not okay?"

"I can't tell you anything at all right now. But I swear that I will. If you trust me."

I thought about how he hadn't told me why he abandoned me to Neave and Lochlan, but I pushed that aside. He would tell me, he promised. The look on his face seemed to say that it was urgent that I trust him at this moment. I nodded and he smiled and sighed.

I took the vial in my hand and he lifted the stopper off. He held it to my lips, and I took a sip. I was expecting a foul taste, but could only detect the faintest hint of the coppery taste of blood. As soon as I swallowed, he kissed me.

"Do you love me?"

"With all of my heart. Eric, what is this about?"

"You have saved me." He put the vial to his lips and drained it.

I shrugged and smiled up at him. "I'm just me." I let my hand trail down his chest and over his stomach.

"Are you ready again?" He tickled me playfully and kissed me. I could hardly be grateful that I had nearly lost my vampire before we'd become courageous enough to admit our feelings, but I was happy at the possibility of spending hours and hours making love with him, being held and talking.

"I just love you, Eric."

"I love you too, Sookie."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I would have to have another talk with Eric about Bobby Burnham. I sat next to him in a black convertible Mercedes SLK wondering how such an obnoxious little man had come to work for Eric. Eric must be spending a fortune on this guy for him to afford such a beautiful car. I purposely tuned him out because I knew that anything that he had to say would be colored by his hatred of me. I focused on the road ahead of me. Bobby was not content to sit in silence. He kept clearing his throat as if he was about to say something to me and I would conveniently turn my head to scrutinize something out the window. Finally, he must have worked up his nerve because he stuttered a bit and said,

"You know, Eric is a very generous man."

"Yep." I knew no such thing, but didn't know what else to say. I was thinking about the errands that I wanted to run this afternoon. Bobby was taking me to a jewelry store so that I could find a suitable ring for Eric. As I thought about it, I couldn't imagine finding anything that would suit him in a traditional mall jewelry store. I forced myself to talk to him, as I didn't have the slightest idea where we were and he seemed to.

"Bobby, is there some place that you know of that might have handmade jewelry. Something unique, you know one –of-a-kind that nobody else in the world might have?"

"Around here? Not really. But, I know a woman who is a glass blower. She may know some skilled crafts people." He actually seemed to perk up a bit when I asked for his help. Maybe that was the key to Bobby. Some people just need to feel useful. Maybe my tact with Bobby was all wrong.

"I'd really appreciate it if you called her. I can't imagine getting Eric something ordinary." I thought about the balance in my savings account. Unique often came with a hefty price tag, so I would have to be unique and spectacular on a budget. I sorted through my purse checking for my wallet. Jason was such a sweetheart. He'd tucked 50 dollars into my wallet when Bobby contacted him to get my things. Gran had always urged us to keep a 50 dollar bill as walking around money on us at all times. I'm guessing Jason had given me his own. I would have to call him as soon as it was safe and thank him for thinking of the little things that only someone who loves you very much would consider.

Bobby saw me rifle through my wallet and I saw him smile out of the corner of his mouth. I know I seemed country to him with his fancy car and shiny suits, but that was plain mean.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with coming from hard working honest people. I happen to be good at what I do, and I'm sorry you don't value that."

"Miss Sookie, you misread my intentions. I was not smiling to make fun of you, I am smiling because…" I awaited his answer. He seemed downright uncomfortable. "Because I have something to tell you that I'm not supposed to tell you until later, but you may as well know now."

I hadn't seen that coming. Bobby made me nervous and I didn't totally trust him, but Eric did, so how bad could he be?

"You don't have to worry about money." I looked at him, puzzled for a moment because I wasn't sure where he was going with this. "Master Eric has showered you with wedding presents it seems." We pulled to a stop and he leaned over me. I reached for the door handle and he laughed softly, reaching for the glove compartment. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sookie. Here, this is for you from Eric." He handed me a pink envelope. Pink? Really? It smelled faintly of roses, cinnamon and the forest after it rains. I pulled the envelope open. Inside was a folded note and a black metal card with numbers embossed on the front. These vamps loved metal calling cards. I flipped the card over and looked at Bobby.

"I take it you've never seen a titanium credit card." He looked at me expecting some sort of reaction, but I didn't know what to think. It was certainly heavier than any other card I had handled. I ran my finger over the letters "ERIC NORTHMAN." So, this was titanium? It was dark and felt cold and smooth in my hand.

"Can I find a ring made of this you think?"

"With that, you can find anything in the world." I stared at the card wondering how much money someone would have to have in order to get one of these. I thought of my pitiful little credit card with its two thousand dollar limit, rounding out at about sixteen hundred dollars or so. I unfolded the note and saw Eric's big dramatic letters. It said, "Because you love the sun."

"Because you love the sun. What does that mean?"

"This car? It's yours. I'm to escort you for the day, then take a taxi home." Something in my expression must have amused him because he laughed heartily. "You seem overwhelmed."

"That's an understatement, Bobby. I don't need such expensive things." I thought about all the bills that I could pay with the cost of this car. Then I ran my hand down the sides of my beige leather seat and breathed in deeply the scent of new luxury car. I had never owned a new car. My current car had seen better days and I'd have to remember to thank Eric for the rest of my life.

"Master Eric disagrees and I do not fight with him, ever." Bobby pulled the car into a parking space away from the others in a shopping center. "Shall we go put a dent in your husband's wallet?"

I had never been able to shop with abandon. Previously, my every purchase came with the angst of how many hours I would have to put in at Merlotte's to cover it. I always thought of things in terms of smiles given, pinches endured, aching feet and back. I thought about nights sitting in my chilly kitchen wishing that the little pile of dollars would reproduce overnight and I'd have lots of little dollars adding up to a less worrisome existence. I tried on jeans without looking at the price tags. I went into stores I'd only read about in magazines and I actually made purchases. Every one of these stores called American Express to verify that I was an authorized user. I must have seemed so shabby. But Bobby took care of everything.

I filled two bags at Victoria's Secret; I even stopped at Coach and bought myself a bag that wasn't a knock-off. It took a while for me to actually buy anything. I didn't feel right spending Eric's money. But Bobby told me that if I came back empty handed, Eric would fire him on the spot. I knew that Eric wasn't totally serious, but I took Eric's generosity as good-natured. Bobby and I took a break for coffee and I noted that it was getting close to time for Eric to awaken. Bobby saw me look at my watch and he smiled.

"He loves you." I smiled at this and took the stir stick from my coffee.

"How long have you worked for Eric?" I wanted to know as much about my new life as I could. We hadn't traditionally dated, so there was a lot I didn't know about Eric. In fact, I knew very little about him having been to his home for the first time just three nights ago. Our home, I corrected myself silently and smiled again.

"A few years now. Pam recruited me. I think I worked for him for nearly a year before I actually met him. I was as taken by him as most humans are."

"Yeah, I understand that. He's something isn't he? We should head back, I don't want him to worry." Bobby excused himself to go to the restroom while I gathered my packages and I turned to pick up a scarf that slipped from one of my bigger bags. A large man's hand reached for it as I was reaching for it. I stood and looked up at Quinn's pansy purple eyes. My own eyes grew wide.

"Quinn? What the heck are you doing here?" He kissed my hand and lingered a little too long for my liking. I pulled my hand back but tried to do it in a way that wasn't rude.

"You're looking good, Babe. Doing some shopping today? Looks like you won the lottery. Or did Eric leave you everything?" I couldn't tell if he was joking or if he was trying to insult me on the sly.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I am doing a little shopping." We stood there awkwardly for a moment. "So, what did you say you were doing here?" He seemed to be hedging, as if he had to think about his answer.

"Uh, we're doing the stage design and set up for "_The Best Dressed Vamp_."

"So, you just happened to be in this very mall?" Was he trying to provoke Eric or was he just that financially strapped with the burdens of his mother's and sister's care?

"I'm not exactly a little kid that can be ordered to stay off the playground. You don't really think Eric has that kind of control over anybody right, or has he suckered you that completely?"

"I'm not anybody's sucker. But you are playing a dangerous game with him."

"Who's playing?" He winked at me in a way that made me uncomfortable.

"Quinn, you should go."

"I just wanted to say hello I'm not as afraid of Eric as you are, so I don't care if he'll be mad that I was here."

"There really wasn't any need for you to come over here. We said it all last time we talked." He caught sight of the ring on my finger and he grabbed my hand.

"Oh, you've been bought and paid for, look at this."

"That's a shitty thing to say." I was starting to regret my relationship with him by the minute.

"How is that husband of yours? I heard he had a run-in with someone who wants him dead." He smiled but I glared up at him.

"He's recovering nicely, thank you for asking." How had Quinn heard about Eric?

Bobby came out of the restroom and took me by the elbow.

"Mrs. Northman, is there a problem here?" I looked at Quinn and wished he would melt.

"I don't know, Quinn, _is_ there a problem?"

"Mrs. Northman? Fancy, fancy. No, there isn't a problem. Just saying hi to an old friend. Be sure to tell Eric that Quinn says hello. Sookie, are you staying in town here? Maybe I'll run into you again I'll be here for a few more days."

"Yeah, Quinn. Take care." I let Bobby rush me out of the mall and into the parking lot. I suspected that Quinn was watching us or maybe even following us. Something about him seemed ominous to me in a way that he never had before.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to drive you around for a while until I'm sure that we're not being followed." Bobby had picked up on the same intensity that I had.

"No, I don't mind. My bigger concern is that Eric is going to smell Quinn on me and freak out. I did everything I could to not touch him, but he kissed my hand." Eric was possessive. Not in a way that scared me, but I didn't want to spend our evening talking about Quinn. "Is there someplace I could take a shower and change clothes?"

"I'll stop at the Motel 6, you can shower and change there. I'll put the room in my name and stay overnight. I'll drop your car off in the morning. I'll tell Eric we needed to detail your car again."

We rode in silence. I think Bobby was trying to determine whether or not to reveal this incident to his boss, who demanded absolute loyalty, or protect his boss's pretty young wife who had an accidental run in with an old flame. I could feel him getting wound up and I decided to ease some of the tension for him.

"Look, Bobby. I appreciate what you were willing to do for me. But that was just the panic talking. Eric will understand. I have to tell him that I ran into Quinn. If I don't, it will look as if I'm hiding something and I don't want that. I won't underestimate Eric. It was bound to happen someday, right?"

Bobby breathed a deep sigh of relief. He had been an unexpected ally in getting me out of that mall unruffled. I thought about Quinn being at the very mall where I was shopping and the possibility of it being a coincidence. I tried to push those thoughts from my head. Quinn wasn't crazy, even though he had been behaving strangely. I knew that Eric had had a stern conversation with him, in fact, Quinn's jaw was broken by Bill in a fight a few months ago, but that hadn't been Eric's fault. Quinn broke their agreement to stay out of Area 5. I would take full responsibility for running into Quinn and tell Eric the truth.

Bobby pulled the car up to the front of a windowless building in a research park. No one would ever think to look here for a vampire nursing home. I pulled the door latch and Bobby rushed around the door to help me out of the seat. I could see that Eric was waiting for us in the lobby. I went to grab my shopping, but Bobby waved me away saying that he'd take care of it. I ran inside and threw myself at Eric. Here he was up and walking when Dr. Armatrading had guessed that Eric would be incapacitated for another week or so. Eric was smiling so brightly at me that I thought he'd burst, then he tilted his head and sniffed at me. I have never seen such rage in person.

"When?" He growled.

"Baby, I didn't…he was at the mall. Bobby and I went for a coffee. He kissed my hand, that's all. I swear it." I didn't want this to play out in the lobby in front of the other patients. A few had turned our way when they heard Eric growl.

"That tiger knows we're here?" Eric asked but it seemed rhetorical, so I just stood beside the front desk hoping Eric would want to finish this upstairs.

"Baby, I didn't seek him out." I hoped he would understand. I'd had enough fighting with him. He must have sensed my panic, because he took a very unnecessary deep breath and instantly calmed down. I felt myself calming as he did so.

"I know that, Lover. Come upstairs, I have a surprise for you. It's a good thing I've drawn you a bath, I can't stand you smelling like the circus." He pulled me close and held me to him until the elevator chimed. It was a protective gesture and I meant to ask him about it but he distracted me with a kiss against the elevator wall. We were halfway to sex by the time the doors split and we hurried out to our room.

"I want to know how it is that you're up and running, so to speak." He pulled a sleeping mask out of his pocket and slipped it over my head. The hospital stocked them for the human guests because even though the private spaces are windowless, we tended to sleep in the daytime. Aspiring vampires, I guess.

I heard our door latch, and reached out to feel my way inside. Eric took my arm and guided me. I was struck by the soft smell of roses and something else. It was similar to what I'd encountered when I opened Eric's envelope earlier but much stronger. There was an odd note to the scent, as if it wasn't solely rose I was smelling. It was a delicious, earthy smell. Cinnamon and wood smoke. It smelled like Eric's home. I smiled when I thought of the two of us making a life there together.

He led me into the bathroom and began to undress me. Unable to see anything, I didn't know where his hands would be next and it thrilled me. He unbuttoned my dress slowly, and trailed his tongue down the back of my neck. When he got to my lower back, he knelt and kissed me. I felt like a goddess. I could hear foam from the bathtub as the air shrank the bubbles. Bubble baths were my favorite. I felt my hair being lifted and he placed a delicate kiss on the back of my neck. He piled my hair high and put an elastic around it. I felt him unhook my bra, as he stood behind me, caressing as his hands traveled. I felt him tug at my panties, so I lifted first one leg, and then the other. I was suddenly off my feet and into his arms as he placed me gently into the hot, sudsy water.

I reached for the mask and he grabbed my hand. I felt my hand being washed, the one that Quinn had kissed. After several minutes of light scrubbing, he rinsed it and kissed it himself. Have I mentioned that Vampires are possessive? I felt his nearness and tried to lean towards him. He had climbed into the water with me. He slipped the mask from my eyes and began kissing me before I could get a good look around. He broke our kiss and let me hang there in the air with my eyes closed.

"Go on darling, take a look."

I took a peek and was greeted by several dozen vases of cream and cinnamon colored roses. There were candles everywhere, just as I had seen in Eric's bathroom.

"Oh, Eric. This is spectacular. Where did you get these amazing roses?

"Would you believe that I cultivate and grow them? They are my own variety called Ravenwood roses. They bloom at dusk and their perfume lingers for hours.

"You are just one surprise after another, my love." I kissed him gently. "So, how are you doing? How are you out of bed?" Eric stepped out of the bath and retrieved the box that Pam had brought. What all was in that thing? As he opened the box, I watched his eyes. He was remembering something fondly. He slipped the gold and glass vial out of the box and held it up for me to see. It was about the length of a chemistry lab test tube, but way more ornate. This was the vial he had me drink from but it was empty now.

"This was blood from Mahesh-Ra, the oldest vampire in existence. She speculates that she is nearly 5,000 years old. She gave it to me a few centuries ago with the condition that I use it if I was close to death. When mixed with blood from someone who loves you, its healing attributes are unparalleled. Sookie, your wrist didn't break open yesterday morning, I had the nurse borrow blood from you. And before you get angry with me for not asking, I tried to, and you were sleeping so soundly that we couldn't rouse you. I tried three times. I swear it."

He rolled the tube in the light. "I took a chance that you meant it when you said that you love me. Otherwise, her blood was without any power at all. You have saved my life, Sookie. For that, I will be eternally grateful." I knew that he meant that quite literally, and he seemed wistful whenever he referred to time. "I should have saved some for an emergency, in case I can't get a hold of her, but I have to be mobile. I have to be able to protect you."

I smiled at him and motioned for him to get back into the water.

"You're welcome, many times over. But thank you for considering me. Thank you for trying to ask. Thank you for being amazing. Thank you for my car. Thank you for the shopping trip, and thank you for the roses." I kissed him again. "Oh, and the house. You don't have to really give it to me. It's obvious that it means a lot to you."

"I would burn it to the ground if you asked. You mean more." I was stunned by his response and tried to lighten the moment.

"I would never ask you to do that. Where would we live?"

"Will you come to live with me?"

" I will consider it."

He kissed the tip of my nose and splashed water at me. I splashed back. We heard Bobby put the last of my bags in the front room.

"Thanks for everything, Bobby."

"Sure thing, Sookie.. I'm leaving your car keys on the coffee table."

Eric called after him, "Please take Mrs. Northman's car back to Ravenwood. We're going home tonight."

"We are?" Had he improved that much in one evening? I would be glad to get him out of the hospital so that we could spend some time together that was not constantly interrupted by nurses.

"If that is what you desire. I personally would love to make love to you in my own bed. He moved closer to me and I stared up at him. "My lover, if you are hungry, your friend Tara sent a care package through Pam. I could heat something up for you."

"No, no, that's not necessary Love. Can I grab something on the way? I am so excited to see Ravenwood. Can you tell me about it? How long have you owned it? Why is it called Ravenwood Are there secret passageways?" He laughed at my exuberance.

"Your excitement thrills me, Lover. Turn around." Eric began washing my hair. "Ravenwood, is a very rough translation of the name of my village. You are right, it does mean a lot to me. I have owned it for about 117 years."

"Does it ever blow your mind to talk about time in terms of centuries?"

"Not anymore," he laughed. "I didn't really start to think about it until I'd existed longer than the oldest man I'd ever known. Then, I realized that I really wasn't going to age. It took some getting used to."

"Have you ever been so bored with life that you…well, considered…." I thought maybe I was getting too personal, but he didn't seem to mind. "I'm sorry, baby. That is really personal. Forget that I asked."

"There isn't anything that you can't ask me. But the short answer is yes. I have considered it. There have been some very dark moments in my history."

He looked so sad for a moment that I couldn't help but kiss him. Vulnerable Eric was still in there, he just didn't show it very often.

"Eric, we don't have to talk about this now, we have our whole lives together." I put my arms around his shoulders and held him tightly. He was silent and still and I kissed his cheek.

"Yes, we'll have other times." He looked down at me. "Should we get going? I can tell you all about Ravenwood in the car and the sooner we get home, the sooner I can make love to you."

"We can't make love here and at home?" I reached into the water and gently stroked him.

"You naughty little thing. You are always ready for me. I like that."

"I like you." We kissed, and then he lifted me out of the water and we dripped all the way to the bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I must have dozed off because I awoke in the back of a limousine, stretched across Eric's lap with him stroking my hair. He'd told me so much about his home and his life the last one hundred years or so. He made a lot of his money on the railroads and western expansion during the 1800's and narrowly avoided losing it all on a bad investment prior to World War II. I was dying to find out how Eric came to America and when, but he told me that was a story for another time.

I was surprised more vampires weren't drawn to becoming historians like Mahesh-Ra. Eric laughed when he told me that she is currently a Professor of Antiquities at the Sorbonne in France. He had the burgundy box that had carried her blood tucked under his arm for safekeeping. We were gliding silently towards Shreveport. I rolled onto my back and looked up at him. He was so beautiful in the moonlight.

"I love you, Eric." I sighed contentedly.

"Hey, you fell asleep. We're home, Lover." He lifted me up and I saw the house lit up like it was a few nights ago. Such different circumstances. I promised myself that this time, I would enjoy every detail. The car pulled up to the stairs and the driver came around to the back and let us out. I had only been in a limousine twice before. I could get used to this lifestyle.

Eric took my hand and led me up the stairs. I hadn't noticed the maze and fountain when Pam drove me here before. We got to the double doors and I waited for him to open them.

"So, Sookie, are we going traditional or would you like to carry me over the threshold?"

"How about you just invite me in, and I'll follow you."

"Well, I offered." He smiled, took my hand and pushed the doors open. "This, my love, is Ravenwood." It was as I remembered; except this time, Eric was vertical. While I wanted to see the rest of the house, I was very interested in heading up to our bed. His staff must only appear during the daytime, because I hadn't heard or seen anyone else either time. I unbuttoned my coat and Eric took it from me. He led me into a cloakroom that was as large as my laundry room at home. He kissed me lightly and promised to show me around the next evening.

He received a call from Fangtasia as we went back out into the foyer and began ascending the stairs. There were oil paintings by artists I recognized from coffee table books at the Shreveport Art Museum lining the walls as the stairs gently curved upward. Once on the balcony, I looked over the balustrade to the foyer below. Through the bank of windows over the front doors, you could see a lake just beyond the maze complex. It would take days to thoroughly explore this place.

He ended his call and we stepped into the bedroom. The lights were on and the bags from my shopping trip were neatly folded on a black settee. I suspected that my clothes were hanging in a walk-in closet or dressing room that I had yet to discover. The bed had been made and the flowers were just as fresh as they were earlier in the week, which meant that they were probably replaced every three days or so. Eric must have realized what I was thinking.

"Pam stopped by before she went to Fangtasia for the evening. She left you a note." Eric handed me an envelope and I opened it. I saw him pick up a peignoir that I'd purchased at Victoria's Secret and raise his eyebrow approvingly.

"Very nice, Sookie. What does Pam have to say?"

I giggled and took the peignoir. "She left this out for me and she's sorry that she won't get to see me in it. Oh, and she told me to tell you to hire a ladies maid."

He shook his head and laughed, "That Pam. Now put that on so I can tear it off."

"But I like it, I've never owned a see-thru nightie before."

"I will buy you another. I grow impatient."

I smiled at him seductively and walked into the bathroom to undress. I had to laugh at my sudden streak of modesty given the wild strip tease I had done in his hospital room. I slipped out of my clothes and pulled the flimsy material over my head. It was so sheer and light, it hardly qualified as a nightgown. I knew that he'd come in just as surely as I knew my own name.

"Lover, I cannot wait any longer."

He lifted me up by my waist and placed me on the marble top vanity. I lost my breath as he entered me. I turned my head and watched him in the mirror. We moved together for several minutes. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held onto him. He was much stronger now than he'd been before. Eric told me that Mahesh-Ra's blood would make him one of the strongest and fastest vampires in the world and that there were only two other vampires in existence with her blood. He wouldn't need to feed as often, and he would be able to rise earlier, requiring less sleep.

"Eric," I kissed his neck. "The bed. "Now."

He lifted me up off the counter and I held onto him. I moved against him as he carried me to the bed and laid me down. I turned over onto my knees and grabbed the pillows. He growled with eagerness and finished what we started in the bathroom.

When we were both too exhausted to hold ourselves up, we collapsed on top of the comforter. I don't know if I've ever been in a more comfortable bed.

I crawled between the sheets and Eric slid in beside me.

"You won't be here when I wake up, will you?" I was already going to miss the mornings in the hospital when I'd wake up with him in my arms.

"No. But I will be close by."

I remembered that a vampire's daytime sleeping spot is his or her most closely guarded secret. "I will miss you horribly."

"Not as much as I will miss you." He kissed my neck lightly, and I stared up at the mural painted on the top of his bed. He began pulling the draperies around us closed and we were cut off from the rest of the world.

"This reminds me of when Jason and I would play tent in the living room on rainy days. We would drag all of the blankets out of the linen closet and tie them to chair backs and the banister. Sometimes, when Gran would help, she would run clothes line between the kitchen and dining room and we would drape blankets over that and read by flashlight, and tell ghost stories."

"He took good care of you."

"We took care of each other. He's a great guy, I hope he finds someone to make him happy."

"Are you happy?"

"I am." I sighed. It was so nice to just be able to let go with someone and relax completely. No thoughts crowding in. Eric also didn't mind sitting in silence sometimes. Most people try to fill up every moment with something instead of just letting it be. We lay quietly, holding each other and nothing more.

"Which stars am I looking at here?"

"That is the night sky, as seen from my village about the time I was turned. I had an astronomer recreate the probable star positions and then I brought an artist in. It is relatively new actually. I got it a year ago, I think."

"If you had told me a year ago that we'd be here, like this…I just wouldn't have believed you."

"I have been telling you that you were meant to be mine since you were presented to me at Fangtasia."

"I was not presented to you. We call that introducing."

"You were laid out before me as a banquet for my eyes and mind; now, a feast for my body and soul. So I think presented is appropriate."

"As romantic as you are, why haven't you been snapped up several times?"

"We'll discuss those things another time. I'll have to leave you soon and there are some things we need to discuss. The staff that manages my household lives here at Ravenwood, but they have there own homes down the lane by the lake. Don't be startled if you see them around at various hours. I had Bobby leave a house key for you on your car key ring. The alarm code spells out "Seven" don't reveal this to anyone for any reason. I have a housekeeper and groundskeeper that report every day at 8 am. Natalia Gurova is my housekeeper. She is very good at her job and proud of it. She is supposed to be bringing you food for the kitchen." He smiled and drew lazy circles on my chest. "I have a kitchen, but I can't tell you the last time I was in it, so if you require something, leave her a list. She buys my toiletries on Wednesdays, so I'm guessing she could buy groceries for you then too. By the way, she knows that you'll be here so don't worry about scaring her.

Anton Gurov is her younger brother; he takes care of the grounds and makes sure that I have fresh flowers in my room and throughout the house every day.

Carl is the maintenance person. You may not see him very often, or if you do, it will be in passing to go to the mechanical room.

Oliver takes care of my cars and Brady manages my horses. If you decide to go riding, make sure you get with Brady, as he will have to pair you with the right horse for your temperament but tell him I suggested Avalon. They all answer to Bobby Burnham. so, if you have any problems with anyone, or if you need to contact one of them, let Bobby know. Pam is right, you do need an assistant. I'll have Bobby look into that tomorrow." He pulled up a yellow note pad on his phone and left a message for Bobby. "He checks this daily. Sometimes I leave notes for him in the butler's pantry, otherwise he's to retrieve notes from my phone."

I laughed out loud.

"What is so funny?"

"Everything. Our lives couldn't be more different." He sat up and swung his legs out of the bed. "I mean if I run out of Tide, I have to go to the SuperSaver and grab Tide. If my car breaks down, I have to spend a good hour fretting about how I'm going to pay for it before anything gets fixed. It's just so different, and no, I won't have an assistant, okay? I'm just me, Sookie from Bon Temps, Louisiana and I can fold my own laundry and wash my own dishes and drive myself to work and back."

"I applaud your work ethic. But this house requires quite a few more people than that and I don't know if you realized it, but I'm a very busy man."

"I didn't mean to offend you, Eric. I was only pointing out how different we are."

"We're not so different. You had your grandmother to manage things and when she passed, you had to rely on friends. People without friends pay servants."

I had put my foot in my mouth, but he was willing to let it pass.

"I'll see you tomorrow evening then." He kissed me quickly and pulled the draperies shut. I heard what sounded like a heavy door being opened, and then closed again, but I couldn't make out from which direction. I hopped out of the bed and saw that I was alone in the room. He had told me that he would be close by, so I took a chance that he could hear me.

"I'm sorry, Eric. I say dumb things without thinking sometimes. Be patient with me, okay? I love you. Goodnight." I climbed back into the bed and pulled the draperies closed. Just before I drifted off, I heard Eric from what sounded like a very far distance say, "I love you, too."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Having a nap in the car on the way to Shreveport meant that I didn't sleep quite so late. I had the second best shower of my life in Eric's marble walk-in rain and steam shower. If we'd wanted to have a dinner party in it, we could have. I wiped the glass doors down so Natalia wouldn't have to. There was a closet in the bathroom that had fluffy robes hanging from satin hangers. There were more towels than the linens department at Macy's. I looked around for a hamper and couldn't find one. I pulled open a pair of French doors and found a laundry room. I set the towel in the washing machine and decided that I would ask Eric more about this later.

I glanced at my watch. It was only just after 10. I still hadn't found my clothes, so I wrapped up in one of Eric's robes. It was so long on me that I couldn't manage it. On a hunch, I went back to the closet and found a shorter robe that was probably meant for me. That explained the phone calls he'd made in Russian.

I crossed the large room and pulled open a set of double doors like the ones in the bathroom, hoping that I'd encounter a dressing room. Instead, I discovered that the bedroom was part of a much larger suite. There was a gorgeous sitting room with three white sofas arranged in a square U. The sofas were surrounding a fieldstone fireplace that took up most of the wall. But the most interesting thing in the room was a beautiful, highly polished cello on a stand next to a chintz chair.

I went over to the music stand; _Suite for Solo Cello Number 2_. So, Eric played the cello and grew his own roses. I was sure that if any of the clientele at Fangtasia knew that the dangerous bad-boy vampire played cello and grew his own roses, the bar would be out of business within weeks. I wondered if Pam knew, but then I realized that there is probably very little about Eric that she didn't know.

I turned around and went back into the bedroom. Clearly, I was missing the dressing room. I went back into the bathroom and checked for another door and found the entrance to an adjoining dressing room. As I opened the door, lights came on above the shelves and in the cabinets.

Walking into Eric's dressing room was exactly as I'd imagined it would be. There were suits of every color arranged neatly: grays, blacks, browns, blues, olives. If I knew Eric, they were probably organized in more ways than just color.

There were glass doors, behind which sat turtlenecks and T-shirts. My clothes were hanging to the right in a pitiful representation of Sookie. It had seemed like so much when I was shopping. I chose a pair of soft blue jeans and a pale pink cashmere sweater. I was excited to wear my new knee high leather boots.

I sat in the mirror, brushed my hair, and put makeup on. I wouldn't have to wait much longer to put the top down on my new car. I had always wanted a convertible and now, thanks to Eric, I had one. I dabbed perfume behind my ears and grabbed my purse. I have to say, I was happy with the results.

I went down the stairs, my heels echoing once I got off the carpet and onto the marble staircase. I heard singing and followed the sound.

Eric's kitchen would make any serious chef cry. For a vampire who didn't need to eat, his kitchen was right out of a magazine with Viking appliances all the way around. Oh, Eric, I smiled.

I saw a dark haired woman, not much larger than a 10 year old, stocking the refrigerator with all manner of fruits and vegetables. The only fruits I could ever afford were apples, grapes and bananas. In the summer, I would splurge on as many lemons as I could to keep fresh lemonade on hand.

"Well, hello." I stuck my hand out and waited for a response. 'I'm Sookie."

She took my hand and shook it firmly. "Hello, madam. I am finished here in a moment." Her voice was the tiniest adult voice that I'd ever heard. She sounded like a toy; a heavily accented toy.

"No hurry, I'm actually headed to Bon Temps. May I just have an apple to tide me over and I'll be out of your way." She handed me the biggest, reddest apple I had ever seen.

"Everything is washed, you take okay?" She stared at me for a long moment. "You are aware that you are glowing, no?" I didn't know if she meant glowing with health or glowing like Eric does. I thought I'd stop and check myself in the mirror before I left. Nothing I could do about it either way.

"Uh, no, I wasn't aware. Glowing isn't something I normally do...." My voice trailed off because she was scrutinizing me as if I might burst into song, or run out of the room screaming.

"You have the blood?" She was gesturing, but I couldn't make it out. "You know the blood, the blood. Forgive my English. Uh, Mr. Eric's?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Uh, I have had his blood." Well, that wasn't awkward at all. My smile seemed to say, _I realize that we just met tiny Russian lady but in addition to sleeping with your dead boss, we sometimes drink each other's blood and now I'm your new boss. Would you pass me a napkin?_ I bit into my apple, grateful that she couldn't hear my thoughts and didn't seem to really care. She finished putting vegetables into a crisper and closed the refrigerator. Some of those vegetables I'd only ever seen in soups. I hope she didn't think I was planning on doing much cooking here. While I can cook, it's just not a big thrill for me.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, Natalia. I'll be back before Eric awakens." She nodded and said something that sounded like Ha-row-shi.

I wasn't sure where to find my car. I hoped that the garage was nearby. As I stepped out of the front doors and into the sunshine, I could not stop thinking that I would wake up in my bed in Bon Temps and wonder how many gin and tonics had made me hallucinate this. Eric was offering me the world on a silver platter. What had I done to deserve this?

I turned and locked the door behind me. As I descended the stairs, the black Mercedes came up the drive. No wonder Eric never moved to lift a finger. Everyone around him anticipated his needs. An older man with salt and pepper hair and beard, and wide, thick glasses slid out from behind the wheel. He took my hand and guided me into the car. "Morning to ya. Name's Oliver, but everyone calls me Ollie. Except for Mr. Northman. You have a full tank of gas and a built-in GPS if you know how to use it. If not, I can show you how."

"Well, thank you Oliver, I'm Sookie. I could use a few pointers so I don't end up in Mississippi." Oliver came around to the passenger's side and climbed in. He showed me how to type in the address of my destination and how to get back here when I needed to come home. Home. Could I really move my things in with Eric and make this my home? I wasn't going to rush things. There was time. I programmed the GPS to take me to Merlotte's. I needed to talk to Sam about a few things, and I needed to see about my house.

I followed the calming British voice that directed me to the highway. From here, I knew where I was going, so I didn't have to concentrate at all. I thought about the events of the last week. How different my life was. What we really needed to be concerned about was who tried to kill Eric. Would that person try again? Would that person be trying to harm me in some way? I did have anonymity on my side at the moment. No one would recognize this car and Shreveport was not a place where I'd spent much time. I reached for the radio knob, but didn't find anything that inspired me. I didn't listen to much music, I'd won an iPod once, but at the time, I didn't have a computer to use it with. I leaned over and pulled open the glove compartment door. Sure enough, there was an iPod. I looked at the controls on the steering wheel and figured out how to get some music going. It wasn't my music, obviously, but it was something different.

I drove to Merlotte's enjoying the feel of a new car under my control. I didn't have to wonder if I'd left the muffler at the entrance ramp. I didn't have to be embarrassed when I pulled up to traffic lights.

Merlotte's parking lot was getting crowded. The lunch crowd would be tapering off soon, but the lot was still pretty packed.

I climbed out of my car and slid the keys into my bag. I felt like I'd gone Hollywood and was coming home for a visit. Would everyone treat me the same as they always had? Or would they be able to smell money on me and treat me the way we treated rich tourists? I shook those thoughts away. I was the same old Sookie, I just had a few nicer possessions. The bell chimed as I stepped through the door and I slid into a booth in Dottie's section.

"My Lord, aren't you a sight for sore eyes? What happened? We didn't hear from you. Sam got a call from that Vampire lady and they said you were all right, but we didn't know for sure."

"Dottie, I'm okay. Thank you for your concern, but I really am okay. Eric is too. We just need to lay low for a while until he recovers fully and until we figure out who did this to him and if someone is trying to hurt me." I looked around for Sam and didn't see him right away. "Is Sam in today, is he in the office?"

"Yeah, he's doing the req's. Look at you, sitting there all pretty and bright. It's like the sun followed you in here. You can go on back, you still work here don't you?"

"Of course, I wouldn't leave Sam high and dry. I just need to work some things out for now." I got up to go to the office. "Would you have Terry make me a tuna sandwich?"

"Sookie, I'll have him mix up some fresh just for you. I'll bring it to you in Sam's office." She tucked her pencil back into her hair and scanned the dining room quickly.

"Dottie, you're amazing, thank you." I kissed her cheek and gave her a quick hug.

Sam's door was cracked, so I knocked. "Hey, there Sam, you got a minute?"

"Sookie Stackhouse. Look at you." He twirled me around and whistled under his breath a bit. "I take it that everything is okay. You look amazing."

"Things are better. Eric is recovering quickly and I'm helping him get settled in at home." I should have been more clear because I immediately noticed his eyebrow raise; "His house, not my house. We're testing it out to see how we do together."

"Any idea who did this to him?" Sam sat down and motioned for me to take a seat. I shook my head as I sat down. "I kind of suspect that Eric knows and he's not saying. I can't imagine why he would keep it from me, though."

Sam was quiet so long, I thought maybe he'd had a stroke. He stared at me, opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again.

"Sam Merlotte, if you have something you want to say, spit it out."

"Well, it's just that…." He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair and said, "I don't know, Sookie, sounds to me like maybe Eric arranged this whole thing to get you to move in with him."

I rolled my eyes at this suggestion. "First of all Sam, Eric has never had any problem stating his intentions. If he'd wanted me to live with him, he would have asked. And by the way, he did suggest that I move in with him several months ago and I declined. Second, and more importantly, you didn't see him. We almost lost him Sam, there's no way that he could fake that and there's no way Pam would go along with it."

"Maybe not knowingly, but Sookie how well do you know any of them? It just strikes me as odd that someone would be able to overpower him, drain him and leave him to die. Someone happened to find him. You get a call to rush to his side. You don't find any of this strange?"

"Sam, I find the whole thing strange. Maybe this was a bad business deal, or some low level vampire trying to take over Area 5. I don't know. Maybe this is someone trying to hurt me by hurting him…."

"You really love this guy, Sookie." He seemed genuinely surprised.

" I do, Sam. For the first time in my life, I'm sure about my feelings and I love Eric Northman." Sam shook his head and rubbed his hands on his jeans.

"Is it the money? I mean, did I just never have a chance because of the shifting or was it something else, because I've been getting mixed signals from you for years and I just wanted to know what I could have done that might have made you see me for who I am instead of just seeing me as your boss."

"Oh, Sam. It was always mostly because you are my boss. I just don't see how that could have ever worked out." He had a pitiful look on his face and I thought it might be best if I left. "It was never about money and it's not about money with me and Eric. It's just right and we know it. He and I click." I stood and crossed the room. "I didn't mean to send you mixed signals Sam. I've had a rough time trusting men….I know you will make someone a fine boyfriend or husband, but…."

Dottie came in with my sandwich. "Hon' do you think you're gon' stick around and eat this?" She held the plate up as if she already knew the answer.

"No, Dottie, I think I'd better get going." She walked back out to the kitchen. I turned to Sam and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I would still like to work here if there's a place for me."

"Sookie, there's always gonna be a place for you at Merlotte's. I'm bringing in some part-time help though to carry us through 'til you get this sorted." He stepped out from under my hand. "Like I said, you look great and I wish you and Eric all the best."

"Thank you for being gracious, Sam. It means a lot to me. I don't want to lose any friends over this, I just hope you all come to see that Eric is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let him short change you out of a proper wedding, that vampire ceremony don't count for squat here in Bon Temps."

"Thank you, Sam." I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

I paid for my sandwich and got in the car. That was more difficult than I'd anticipated. I expected some resistance from Sam, but I didn't think he'd accuse Eric of arranging to have himself drained. That was just insane. I turned the car down the road and headed for my house.

I hadn't been home for several days and my house had that "So this is what my house really smells like" scent of disuse and settling. I brought the mail in, sorted it and sat down at the kitchen table to eat my sandwich and get some bills paid. I heard tires crunching up the driveway and wondered who would have the perfect timing to know that I was home. I went to the window and saw Quinn's truck. This was starting to feel less and less coincidental all the time. How would he have known that I'd be here of all days?

I threw the back door open and went out before he could get to the door. "What are you doing, Quinn?"

"Sookie, I'm just trying to have a conversation with you. Is that wrong? Why won't you just give me five minutes to plead my case, then I'll be gone." He looked at me pleadingly and I felt a bit of the ice around my heart melt. "Not to mention I brought you some chocolates."

Against my better judgment, I agreed that he could come in for not more than 10 minutes to say what he was so all fired up to say. He took a seat in my living room and I remembered my manners.

"May I offer you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good thanks." He was dressed as if he was heading out to a function. His tie was clipped with a gold bar. He was sporting a diamond earring this time. He sat staring at me for a moment and I wondered if he was trying to screw up his nerve.

"Sookie, you never gave me a fair shot. That's what I've been trying to say. I think you were being a coward and you took the easy road. Eric has a lot of money, but I'm not doing too badly. Yeah, I know, my mom is a handful and my sister is not totally right. But I'm a great guy and you just shut me out. You were wrong to do it and I just wanted to ask you for a second chance so that I can show you that you and I had something special. You and I were great together in bed. You know I can take care of you, give you nice things. Yeah, we'd have to save a little and it might not be what Eric can give you right this second, but it would be honest. You wouldn't have to be afraid of your boyfriend, I wouldn't ever get you into half the shit you get into and I can be there for you day and night. You shouldn't have to settle for a part-time partner. I'll make you first in my life. I'll put my business aside for a few months and devote that time to making a life with you. If you'll just give me a chance."

I looked at him and bit my lip because I couldn't believe what he had just said.

"So, Sookie. What do you say? We could start with an early dinner, maybe drinks at that new hotel by the airport?

"Quinn," I didn't know a gentler way to say this so I just said what I felt. "You are a great guy. You really are. I've never disputed that. You are asking me to give you a chance and I can't. I'm not only spoken for, I'm married to Eric. That's a lot different in my eyes than just being on the outs with my boyfriend."

"He tricked you into a fake-ass vampire ceremony that doesn't mean shit because you are human. He doesn't own you. You're so messed up on his blood that you don't even know what you're saying. If you got away from him, his influence would wear off and you would understand what I've been trying to tell you. You know I'm not the only one telling you that Eric is bad news. You can't deny that."

"You're right, I can't deny that the three other men who want me for themselves have something bad to say about the man that I chose. None of you know him, and quite frankly, none of you know me well enough to say what is best or right for me. All of you keep bringing up how much money Eric has and I'm sick of it. That seems to be all you guys can measure yourself against. You can't seem to understand that there may be a million strikes against Eric and me, but there are a million and one things that bring us together. Yeah, you have baggage. Every relationship comes with baggage. But love is what makes you unpack that crap and hang on for the ride." I looked at him for signs that I was making myself clear. "I'm so sorry, Quinn. I don't love you. I love Eric. If you and I had met a year earlier…."

"Oh please, don't give me that if we'd only met sooner bullshit. You just took the easy way out."

"You think this is easy for me? You don't know shit about me. Just go, your ten minutes is up. If you don't mind, I have things I need to attend to."

He stood up to leave. "You think he's ever going to be the kind of husband that you need? What kind of life will you have snatching a few hours together in the evenings? What are you to a man who is immortal? You'll waste your life on him, and he'll go on and on forever. You're just making this part of his life a little less boring."

"It's my choice and my decision is final." I began walking to the door expecting that he would follow. When he didn't, I began to worry that maybe I'd gotten myself into a bad position. Eric would kill me for not considering this. Especially when there was someone out there trying to harm him, or even me.

"If you won't consider being my girlfriend full-time, would you consider seeing me during the day when he's not around? Get to know me a little better. At least make an informed decision. I mean, someone's trying to kill the guy, he may not even be around for you."

"Are you asking me to be your whore? Because that's what it sounds like. Now I really, really need you to leave." I threw the door open and waited. I couldn't believe the gall. He walked towards the door and towered over me.

"You missed out on a good man. I would have given you anything, including babies. Something that dead freak could never give you."

"Freak? Really?" I was fuming now. What was with men throwing out the "you won't have babies" trump card? Maybe I didn't give a rat's ass about squeezing out a kid.

I glared up at him, and he pushed me against the door and began kissing me. I was caught off guard and he thrust his rough tongue into my mouth. He pinned me there and ran his hands under my sweater and bra. His calloused fingers gripped my breasts and pinched.

I cried out, but he misunderstood and became even more excited. I felt him pressing himself against me as he became more aroused. I pushed at him, trying to get him off of me. He got his hand down my pants, put his finger inside me, and started stroking me. I bit his tongue while he tried to undo my pants. He got them open and tried to get me onto the floor. I became frantic. If I couldn't stop him, he was going to rape me and I couldn't let that happen. I stomped down hard on his foot and he dropped to one knee. I was wild with rage.

He pulled at me to get me onto the floor with him. I screamed over and over like a crazy person, pulling myself out of my sweater to get away. As I broke free of his grasp, I grabbed the first thing with weight I could find, a crystal candy dish that Gran bought at a yard sale. I brought it down on his head and ran for my car. I locked the door and sat because I'd left the keys in my purse, which was on the kitchen table.

I watched him stagger out the door and into the yard. I kept screaming and began blowing the horn on my car. I just wanted him gone. He came over to the glass and banged on my window.

"Ask your husband who drained his bitch ass!"

I thought he gave me the finger, but it was the wrong one. I didn't care. I cowered in the seat, hoping he wouldn't smash the window. He climbed into his truck and sped out of the driveway, throwing gravel everywhere.

I sat in my car shaking and afraid that he might come back. How could he think that I would have sex with him? He was so dead to me. Didn't he know that if I told Eric, his life would be over? God, Eric. What did Quinn know about Eric being drained?

I reeked of cologne. Eric would know Quinn was here, and while I could account for the light scent of tiger, I couldn't account for all this. I'd have to take another shower.

I ran into the house and locked the doors. I checked again and locked the bathroom door just to be sure. If Quinn really wanted, he could break all of the doors in the house, but I did it anyway.

I got a towel from the linen closet and threw my jeans in the wash. My cashmere sweater was ruined. I was going to have to go home in different clothes. That was the third time that I'd referred to Ravenwood as home. I hoped Natalia wouldn't notice my changed clothing. I turned the water on in the shower and felt the spray hit my neck and shoulders. All I wanted was for Eric to hold me and make this right. I thought of our time together in this shower and I sat down in the water and cried.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I lay on my bed and cried so long and so hard that I fell asleep. When I awoke, I gathered a few things that I really wanted to have with me and packed them into a bag. The temperature was steadily dropping and I decided that I would explain my changed clothes by explaining that I'd been working outside. My left arm was a little stiff after having to fight Quinn off, and I can only imagine that if I hadn't had Eric's blood, and Mahesh-Ra's blood, I wouldn't have been able to get away from him. I shuddered at the thought.

After Bill had raped me, I thought about seeing a rape crisis counselor, but somehow, I'd justified it to myself that Bill didn't know what he was doing. I was sickened by the thought that I'd ever involved myself with either of them, considering that each was capable of rape.

I had the TV on in the background to keep me company. The weather report mentioned that it was going to rain very heavily. The roads would be awful soon, so I had to get moving. I turned the TV up. I needed to keep my mind off what had nearly happened to me. I couldn't believe that Quinn could be so brutal to me because I wouldn't date him. If he was capable of that kind of behavior, I had made the right decision.

I was so conflicted about telling Eric, he had so much on his plate already. He needed to find out who attacked him. Pam was trying to run Fangtasia as best she could, but she was becoming restless and frustrated. Not to mention the other business ventures that Eric was involved in that I didn't even know about. If I told Eric, Quinn was a dead man. If I didn't tell Eric, I would be stuck with the burden of hiding this from him. I couldn't have Quinn's death on my conscience. I decided that this time, I would have to keep something from him. I didn't like the idea of beginning my marriage based on a lie of omission, but I didn't want Eric to murder anyone.

I checked my refrigerator to see if there was anything that would spoil if I didn't get back here for a few days. This was harder than I thought. I would keep my house, but for now, if I was going to be married, I needed to be with him. I grabbed my sad little plant and put it in the pile with the things I wanted to take with me. I loaded the trunk of my car and got ready for the drive back to Shreveport.

I climbed into the car, it smelled like Quinn to my human nose. There was no way I was going to pull this off. I drove with the windows cracked. My phone rang, shaking me from my revelry.

"Little Bit? How ya doin'? Jason only called me Little Bit when he was really worried about me.

"Hey Jason." I felt some of the tension ease from my body. Jason was such a good brother. "I'm so glad to hear from you. I wanted to say thank you for packing up my things for Pam. I really appreciated it."

"Anytime, Sis. Everything okay?" He sounded so happy that I felt myself perk up just a little. "Things are better, they really are. But I wanted to talk to you about something. I'm not going to be in my house for a few days, I'm staying at Eric's." It would be easier to explain all of this after Eric and I actually spent some time being a couple publicly. I would love it if Jason could come stay with me for a few days. "Would you mind keeping an eye on my house? Just grab the mail and turn on a few lights every few days."

"I'll do you one better. I can get you somebody to stay in the house for you for a few days if you'd like. I've got a crew coming down here with Habitat for Humanity and they need a place to crash for the few weeks that they're here. Is that too long?"

"No, that sounds just perfect." At least this way, I could break it to Jason gently that I was moving in with Eric without the benefit of being married. Well, legally married. Gran would already be having a fit that I'd been staying with him. "When can I expect your friends?"

"Not until Sunday night. If you want, I can go to your place and get the house ready. Save you a trip over here."

"Have I told you that I love you very much? You're the greatest big brother in the world." I began to cry and I desperately hoped that Jason was too busy to notice. I listened while he talked about being promoted to the commission for planning and housing development. I added the appropriate responses at the appropriate times and cried the whole time. I would crack if Jason asked me what was wrong. I didn't have the heart to tell him that my own foolishness had nearly gotten me raped. I thought about going to the police, but Eric would find out that I had invited Quinn in. I had to stop thinking about it.

We talked for most of my winding journey to Shreveport. We ended our call and I felt better, but by no means great. I followed the car's directions and pulled in to the drive at Ravenwood. The sun was just about to go down. I looked in the vanity mirror and hoped that I would have a few minutes to touch up my face before Eric noticed that I'd been crying.

I unlatched the trunk and wished that someone had been there to greet me. The house looked very still and seemed so empty. I promised myself that tomorrow I would spend the day exploring. Eric told me the main house had 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. Why a vampire needed such a large house was beyond me, but I didn't ask him about it. I got my things out of the car and carried them inside.

"Hello?" I called out to the seemingly empty house. Eric would be rising soon and I couldn't wait. I ran up to our bathroom and touched up my makeup. I took my things into the dressing room and began putting them away. I heard a tiny thud, then my Vampire had me in his arms.

"Sookie," He kissed me slowly and tenderly. "How was your day?"

I smiled up at him brightly, focusing on my conversation with Jason.

"It was as good as it can be without you." I placed my cheek against his bare chest. He was so beautiful. He held me for a few minutes and kissed the top of my head. I was glad for these few minutes of quiet to just reconnect with him.

"I need to check my messages from Bobby to see if there's anything that I need to know about tonight." He went out into the bedroom and grabbed his cell from the bedside. I heard him making a call to someone. He was whispering so I figured it was business related. I hung the last of my things and joined him in the sitting room.

"Hey lover, Pam is having a party to welcome me back to Fangtasia tonight. You up for a party?

"I could use a party like nobody's business." I sat down and watched as he built a fire. He was so cut that every muscle rippled as he built the base then lit the kindling.

"So you play cello?" He turned around slowly and strode over to it. He took his bow in his large hands and began to play with his eyes closed. He played so softly and sweetly that I began to cry. I had had a terrible day, Sam then Quinn….The music stopped and Eric opened his eyes. He saw me crying and was beside me quickly.

"Lover, why are you crying? Was it something I did? Why are you unhappy?"

"Oh Eric, I'm not unhappy." He pulled me up onto his lap and held me, which made me cry even harder. He made shushing noises and stroked my back slowly until I began to calm down.

"We can stay home tonight if you 'd like but if I have done something to upset you, please tell me so that I can make it right."

"You haven't done a thing wrong, you're the bright spot of my day, of my life really. I was just so moved by how beautifully you play. You're really, really good."

" Oh, I hope so. I've been playing that damned thing for about 200 years." I had to laugh at that. He sat me down on the couch, got a box of tissues and a warm washcloth from the bathroom. I blew my nose, and wiped my face. He waited patiently for me to speak, but I couldn't tell him about Quinn.

"So, I went and got some of my things today. I met Natalia and Oliver and I stopped by Merlotte's to talk to Sam about taking some time off to help you recover."  
"I wish you wouldn't work. I wish you would consider doing something else."

"I love my job, baby. I want to work at Merlotte's" I stood up and gathered my tissues. I looked around for the wastepaper basket, and he took them from me.

"I've got this. Let's just sit for a while, let me hold you."

"I will, but I need time to find something to wear to the party. What would you like to see me in dressy? Sexy? Casual?"

"Nothing at all if I could get away with it." He followed me into the dressing room and discarded most of what I chose. "None of this is suitable. We'll find you something else. We have plenty of time, let's go downstairs and you can show me what the kitchen looks like again. You can eat. I'll watch."

"You have to be hungry, do we have any TrueBlood?" He frowned. "Or, you could have me if you wanted."

"Strangely enough, I'm not that hungry. But I would love to taste my beautiful wife." He kissed my neck gently, then took my wrist. I felt myself getting turned on as I watched him sink his fangs into my wrist and suck. He didn't take much, and as soon as he was finished, we went downstairs to the kitchen.

I heated a can of soup while Eric sliced bread and cheese. He opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for me. I was surprised to find that I was ravenous. Eric watched me eat with the curiosity of a child watching an animal. I felt self-conscious at first because this seemed so foreign to him. When I'd eaten in front of Bill, he made strange faces as if he wanted to be sick, but Eric just watched and occasionally tilted his head as if he was listening for something. When he noticed that I'd stopped chewing he smiled.

"What are you smiling at?" I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin and poured another glass of wine.

"Humans are very noisy creatures. I like that you will sit quietly with me, Sookie."

"I appreciate silence. Sometimes, even the crickets chirping are just too much for me and I try to tune it all out. You let me be me without worrying if you're enjoying my company." He sliced a pear and held up a slice for me to bite.

"When I was human…" he paused as if trying to think of the right words to say. "This was my favorite food. I had a pear tree in my yard and every morning, I would have a fresh pear."

"Eric, am I the only person who knows that the whole tough guy Sheriff thing is an act?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. He raised his eyebrow, leaned over the table and kissed me.

"I am whatever I appear to be. Everyone is…. complex. Given enough time you would have moments of ruthlessness. My position requires that I have a certain detachment. Do you prefer me that way?"

"No, no, I love all of you. I love that you take charge and you command respect. I mean, I knew that you were capable of being quite gentle after our time together in Bon Temps, it's just I'm not used to it."

"You're my wife. I'm not going to treat you the way that I treat Pam and the others. Unless you want me to?" He smiled and handed me another bite of pear.

"Maybe in bed…?"

He laughed. I loved his laugh. I heard a beeping sound and turned towards the door.

"It's the alarm. The doors beep when someone comes in." He stood and went out into the main hall. I heard Bobby and a few other voices talking and the rustling of plastic.

"Hey Sookie," Bobby rushed in and I could see raindrops in his hair. It must really be coming down outside. "Eric said that you don't have a suitable dress for the party so I brought you a dress, some heels and a few assistants to help with your hair, makeup and nails."

"Oh Eric, you didn't have to do this. I could have put something together."

"I don't want you to throw something together, this is a very important night. I have a surprise for you. Now my lovely lady, go upstairs, make yourself even more stunning than you are now and I will meet you at Fangtasia at 8."

"Where will you be?"

"You just be there by 8 and don't be late. I mean it. If you're late, I will put you over my knee."

"Just for that, I will be late." I drank the last of my wine and kissed him quickly. He swatted my bottom as I left the room.

I ran upstairs, excited to have my hair, makeup and nails done by professionals. It was going to be such an awesome evening. Eric would take his throne in the center of the room at Fangtasia. I would get to watch him assume his rightful place as Sheriff of Area Five.

I was so proud of him, and so glad that he had survived the attack. I walked into our bedroom and was greeted by three young women who each had a different case filled with colorful odds and ends. I held up the black cocktail gown that Bobby brought me. It was just the right amount of sexy but not tramping. It had a deep vee in the back that showed off my shoulders, but the rest was tasteful and elegant. There was also a pair of strappy black stilettos that were most likely Eric's idea.

After I was dressed, I sat down at the vanity in the bathroom and let the women work their magic on me. When they'd finished, I stared at myself in disbelief. I'd always known that I was an okay looking girl. I hoped that I was even considered very pretty. Tonight, I had to admit, I was impressive. I could not wait for Eric to feast his eyes on me.

I sprayed a cloud of perfume into the air and walked through it. When dating a vampire, you always had to be prepared for him to bite your wrists or neck. I grabbed the small black clutch that was on the bed beside my things. The girls must have transferred my things while I was in the bathroom getting dressed.

I ran down the stairs, got into my car and programmed the GPS for Fangtasia. Eric was gone when I'd gotten downstairs and I couldn't wait to be with him for the evening. This was my second public appearance as Mrs. Eric Northman.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The rain had been coming down all evening, but the roads weren't really the muddy mess that they would be if we were in Bon Temps. I parked in the back of the club and knocked on the employee door. I had gotten used to walking in through the front door and greeting Pam, but tonight I didn't feel bad going straight to Eric's office. I knocked lightly, hoping that I wouldn't be interrupting anything. The door opened and I peeked inside. Eric was sitting on the corner of his desk in a tuxedo. I audibly gasped at how impressive he looked. His hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail with a leather cord. I hurried over and kissed him. "A tuxedo at Fangtasia, huh? What's going on?"

"Wow, Lover, look at you." He looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. "You look even more amazing than I thought you would." I turned around so that he could get a good look at me and he nodded his approval.

"So what is this surprise?" I was so happy to see him and be there in his arms. He took my hands and kissed me.

"Let's go." He stood to his full height and led me out to the club. I looked around and saw some familiar faces. Pam was there as usual in her spot by the door. She began coming towards us. I looked to my right and noticed Dottie, Tara and Sam standing by the bar. Jason was coming in the front door in a suit and tie. What in the world were they all doing here in Shreveport? I started towards them, but Eric held onto me.

"No, darling. There will be time for that. We have things to do." He kissed me and I felt all eyes on me. I heard the music fade and the room got quiet. Pam held up a microphone.

"So, I'm not good at these kinds of things. I'm just going to come out with it. We want to welcome back our Sheriff, Mr. Eric Northman. He survived a brutal attack that nearly claimed his life." Everyone clapped at this and a few of the humans whistled. Eric nodded deeply to the crowd. He was powerful and in his element. Pam strode over and handed the microphone to Eric. He took it and turned to me.

"I want to thank you all for coming this evening, it really means a lot to me and Sookie that you witness…. our wedding." I stood there with my mouth catching flies as Gran would say.

"I realized that I didn't get to ask you properly. But I have something I'd like to say first. We are getting married officially because we're in love, Sookie. As hard as I fought to deny it the first years that I knew you, I love you more than anything in this world. I want you as my wife and I don't want to wait another day to make you Sookie Northman. If you still want to marry me, if you will accept our strange, wonderful, improbable existence, marry me this night." He knelt in front of me and extended his hand. I nodded and pulled him up into my arms. I looked over at the Bon Temps contingent and could see a range of emotions from disgust (Sam), to elation (Tara). Everyone clapped for us, which was unusual for vampires but I took it for what it was.

Jason came to my side and kissed my cheek. I was worried about what he would think considering what I'd told him about my bond with Eric. He pulled me aside and whispered into my ear.

"Little Bit, if you love this man, marry him. Don't you worry what anyone else says. You deserve to be happy. I love you, Sook." I smiled and he kissed me on my forehead. I turned to the front of the bar where Thalia and a few others had been standing in front of an altar. Eric had expected me to say yes, but a tiny part of me, my independent streak, wondered what he would have done if I'd said no.

Eric pulled me into his arms again. We kissed and he spun me around. "The minister is ready for us and can get this done right now. If I could just have your ring back temporarily, I promise to give it back."

"I would love that." I looked at my brother and he gave me a big thumbs up. Sam didn't seem happy at all, but he was being gracious. Eric led me over to a woman in a flowing white robe with a purple sash over her shoulders. This had to be Cheryl Tatum. She was a famous judge who specialized in Human/Vampire weddings. I had seen her on the news defending vamps and humans who'd chosen to be legally married.

I realized that I didn't yet have Eric's ring, but that didn't matter, Eric wouldn't mind. Almost as if he'd read my mind, Bobby Burnham took my arm and handed me a black box that had the name of the designer whom we'd called a few days back. I opened the box and looked at the ring that I'd ordered. It was deep black in color, like onyx with intricate, but delicate gold carvings. It was far nicer than it had been described and I knew that Eric would love it. It reminded me of a Greek urn I'd seen at the Natural History Museum in King's County.

Cheryl Tatum welcomed both Eric and me to the altar and joined our hands. Bobby and Pam were on the left, representing Eric. A vamp I didn't know brought me a bouquet of Ravenwood roses and I smiled at her; either he had paid them to pull off the nicest approximation of a human wedding they could manage, or Eric had managed to find the most supportive vampires in Louisiana. Most vampires frown on marrying humans, so I would have put my money on the former, not the latter. Pam winked at me, and I thought that she and I just might become good friends after all.

Tara and Jason came to stand next to me. I handed Tara Eric's ring after Cheryl had said a little blessing over them. Pam held my ring and was to act as Eric's best vampire.

As Cheryl officiated our ceremony, we vowed to love each other, care for each other and support each other in times of need. Eric never took his eyes off me. Pam dabbed at her eyes. This was my life now, part fairy, wife of a vampire and sister to a were-panther. I looked up at Eric and wondered about all the things that I still didn't know about him. There was time.

In less than ten minutes, my vampire was truly mine. We kissed just after I slipped his ring on. He gazed at it in the candlelight and I held onto him; my husband, my lover, my friend.

Pam took the microphone again and presented us: Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Sookie Northman. There was more clapping, and then there were glasses filled with blood and champagne. Tara took my roses and handed me a glass. I kissed her cheek and we hugged. It felt good to have my friends there after being surrounded by the undead for such a long stretch. I quietly wondered if I could convince Tara to move closer to Shreveport.

Sam made his way over to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and held my hands.

"Sookie, I hope you're happy. I hope that he lives up to everything that he promised you and I hope that you'll keep in touch with your family and friends. Don't let him become your whole world okay?"

"You don't have to worry about me, Sam. I can take care of myself. Eric is a good man, trust me when I tell you that. He is very complex."

"You don't necessarily need complex. Sometimes, life just needs to be simple."

"I'm part fairy, Sam, what part of that is simple? Just be happy for me, please? You've been such a dear friend—"

"I am happy for you, Sook, I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't think it's fair that the bastard has everything including looks. Now he has you. But you've got my blessing and I came to tell you that."

"Not that I'd ever need it Sam Merlotte, but thank you anyway."

I saw the crowd parting as if a large wave had surged over them. Eric turned me towards a photographer who had been quietly snapping pictures in the background. There was more noise behind us and Eric turned around very quickly. I turned to see what had captured his attention. Quinn stood behind us with the microphone in his hand. This was the worst thing ever. I hoped that maybe he would just say one or two stupid things and then leave; it was just like him to ruin my wedding.

"I won't keep you, I know you're anxious to get your hands on his money and he's ready to get you home so he can play with his food. I just wanted to say congratulations to the happy couple."

Eric looked as if he could dismember Quinn. His fangs were out and I wasn't sure that I could stop him or if I even wanted to. Suddenly, Eric turned and stared at me. He looked horrified and I started to get scared. I had never seen anything publicly upset Eric. I wasn't sure what was happening. Quinn spoke into the microphone again, "Oh, that? Yeah, I figured you'd recognize that smell. Sookie and I met up this afternoon. Did she tell you? By the way, thanks for letting me fuck your wife one last time. She's a hellcat. You've got your hands full."

"Quinn, you lying son of a bitch. I did no such thing." I rushed towards him, but Eric had already moved so quickly that no one saw him until he reached Quinn's throat. Several vampires were on him and they dragged Quinn outside. I didn't see what happened to him, I rushed to Eric's side. I looked at him, but couldn't read what I was seeing. He was staring down at me and all I could do was shake my head.

"You've got to know that I didn't…. I swear it, Eric. I swear it. Quinn tried to rape me and I didn't want you to kill him so I didn't tell you," Eric moved silently past me. I looked at Sam, Tara and Dottie. None would make eye contact with me. "You guys know that I wouldn't do that, right?" Tara put her hand on my arm.

"Sookie, it doesn't matter what he said. Eric will understand."

"You guys think I did it don't you? Well screw all of you."

I ran to Eric's office and got my purse. I was humiliated. My friends and family thought I was a cheater and a liar. More importantly, Eric wouldn't want me now. I was so angry that my hands were shaking as I put my keys in the car door. Angry tears came then, and I could barely see as I backed out of the parking lot. Quinn couldn't have ruined me more if he'd cut my heart out. Eric looked so hurt. I screamed in fury, not caring about how loud I was.

I knew that I should slow down, but I had to get away. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to face any of those people again. Why had Quinn done this? Why? Just because I wouldn't date him? How could someone do this to another human being? No, this had to be something more between Eric and Quinn. There had always been the subtext of something awful beneath their interactions. I had always just assumed that Quinn thought Eric thought himself better than Quinn because Vampires do tend to look down on others. But this, this was low even for Quinn. I thought back to him holding me against the door and it made me feel sick. I felt my stomach rising into my throat and pulled the car over. I threw myself out of the door and was sick on the side of the road. I sat in the grass and cried and cried, not caring how soaked I became.

After a while, I got back in the car and drove to Gran's house. It was all I had left in the world.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I took a hot bath, put on my white flannel nightgown and crawled into bed. This was where I would stay until I died which I figured would be very soon now. In the span of a week, I had gained the love of my life and lost him twice. I was exhausted and I fell asleep to a soft tapping at my window. In my dream, the tapping was Eric and I whispered for him to go away. The tapping continued very softly for nearly an hour. Maybe it wasn't Eric after all? It may have just been rain hitting the window. I pulled the blanket off and went to the window to see if the wind was pushing a branch against the glass or if Eric really was that patient. I pushed the window up and leaned out. In the darkness, I could just barely make him out hovering in the shadows of my tree. He was still in his tuxedo but now he had a long cloak wrapped around himself. He flew towards me with his hand outstretched.

"Eric…'' The tears started up again and I longed for him, for the hours we'd spent this evening at our home, Ravenwood. I ducked back inside and backed away from the window.

"Sookie, would you like to come for a walk with me?" He said this so gently and sweetly that I could almost believe he had forgiven me. Either that or he was luring me out into the woods so that he could kill me. Everyone would assume that I fled in humiliation. Quinn was probably dead, so there wouldn't be anyone to dispute it. He held out his hand and I shook my head. I was so afraid of him that I couldn't move.

He sensed my fear and came closer to the window. I couldn't stand him being so close to me. I had a flash from his mind suddenly and I sat down on the bed. He was wishing me towards him, or at the very least very interested in me going with him. I couldn't see how that would end well. I hugged my knees and shook my head.

"I just want to talk. Walk with me, Lover…..I couldn't bear to face him. I ran to the window and started to close it but he slid in before I could and wrapped me in his cloak. I sat on the bed, defeated. It didn't matter. If he wanted to hurt me, he could at any time and I wouldn't be able to stop him. What did it matter now anyway? He took a pair of socks from my dresser and placed them on my feet. Then he went to my closet and took out my boots. He helped me put them on and tied them while I cried silently. This must be what animals felt like right before they were slaughtered. He had cared for me and now he was dressing me to kill me and hide the evidence.

Eric kissed my cheeks and I cried harder. I didn't want to end up in the swamps. That was the one thing that I was going to regret was that Eric would probably hide my body somewhere where gators would eat the remains. I shivered at the thought of this and Eric pulled the cloak up around my head. I wished he would get it over with. I began thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He would hold me like you hold a child whose had a . I would probably just fall asleep as I grew weaker and weaker.

"Eric, if I could just ask that you help Jason out a little. Please?" Eric turned away from me and I couldn't see his eyes.

"Shhhhh, walk with me." He lifted me up and into his arms. We slid out of the window gracefully. The rain had stopped, but the cold air was shocking and I folded myself into Eric's arms. He held me tightly, but as we climbed higher and higher, I realized that he was going to drop me to watch me fall. I held on tighter hoping that he wouldn't be able to let me go. We flew for a few minutes and touched down at the edge of the cemetery. I was in shouting distance of Bill Compton's place. I could yell for Bill, but by the time he arrived, I would be dead. It was then that I gave up. All the fight was gone from me and Eric could probably feel that I was going to be more compliant now.

I sat down in the grass next to a headstone; it had my name on it. I didn't look at him and he stood silently watching the trees shift in the wind.

We sat together for a few minutes. I crushed leaves in my fingers wishing he would just get it over with. I thought about all the things that I had never had the chance to do. About the things I'd meant to say and the people that I'd somehow always meant to call. I thought about how loving Eric had been when we were together and I couldn't believe that he would be the reason that I wouldn't see anyone else that I loved ever again. I sobbed, and stared at the ground. "Just end it, this is worse…." I could see my breath in the frigid, night air. Eric seemed tense and his face was drawn as if he was very upset about something.

"Sookie?" He didn't say anything else and I couldn't say anything, so I just waited for him to do whatever he was going to do. He was beside me suddenly and tilted my chin up so that I was looking directly at him. Blood was coursing down his cheeks and I saw that he was crying too.

"You really think that I could harm you? I know that you are the most afraid that you've ever been, but you are afraid of me and that is killing me. Do you really not know how much I love you?" I didn't know how to answer him. I was afraid, but I was resigned to die tonight because I had embarrassed him in front of his employees and subordinates. I had chosen to protect Quinn and emasculated Eric in front of everyone. I had never regretted something so much. "I don't know, Eric. I just know that I don't want to die out here in the cold." A figure approached Eric from behind and I tried to warn him, but no sound would come out. I saw the stake, and then Eric fell forward, his blood soaking the ground around him. The figure moved towards me and I screamed. Then I was inside with my wrists bound. Even asleep, part of my consciousness knew this place.

Neave flashed silver capped teeth at me and bit into my knee. Lochlan pulled my hair and bit at my ears and neck. I screamed for Eric over and over, but I had just seen him die. I knew that this time I wouldn't escape them. Neave held up a ring, Eric's ring and let it catch the light. I yelled for her to give it back, but she threw it into the darkness.

I called out for him again, hoping….I awoke to the sound of screaming and knew that it was me.

My door flew open and I started. Jason stood in the doorway with a dishtowel in one hand and a cast iron skillet in the other.

"Sookie, you all right?"

"I'm okay." I swallowed big gulps of air and he sat down on the bed beside me. What time is it?" The sun was streaming in through the parted curtains and if I guessed, I'd say it was mid morning.

"It's 8:20-ish. Eric told me you'd be here, so I came to take care of you. I made pancakes and coffee if you're hungry."

"I can't face him, Jason. I should have told him about Quinn." I slid out of the bed and went to the bathroom. My eyes were puffy and red and I had mascara pooling in bags beneath them.

"You're not giving him enough credit, Sookie. You weren't there last night. My new brother-in-law whooped that tiger's ass.

I rushed out of the bathroom. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I mean just what I said. Some vamps had Quinn pinned down outside, but he was fighting them off. He was like a machine, just throwing vamps left and right like a cage fighter. But Eric came out and—well, maybe it's better if I don't tell you."

"I'm sick of everyone trying to protect me, just tell me what happened. Is Eric okay?"

"Okay? Eric is fine, that other guy, Quinn? maybe not so much. Eric told Quinn that he was going to castrate him for what he did to you. I gotta tell ya, Sook, if a vamp came after me threatening my junk, I guess I'd fight as hard as that guy Quinn. He took off into the woods, and Eric and I chased him for like forty-five minutes. Then we caught up to him in a drainage culvert. I guess he thought he was going to take Eric down, but Eric was all over that guy. I got a few licks in too.

One of Quinn's shifter friends must have seen what was going on and stepped in because suddenly there was this dude with a rake and he broke the handle over his knee. I was grossed the hell out, but Eric took that guy's head off with one hand, just ripped his head and spine right out of his back."

I cringed at the thought of how much brute strength it would take someone to do that kind of thing. I wasn't sure of the extent of Eric's abilities before he'd had Mahesh-Ra's blood, but I was certainly getting a glimpse.

"Quinn got away, but not before Eric took one of his eyes. I swear Sookie I think he let him get away. I think Eric is fuckin' with that guy."

"Are you serious?" I thought of Quinn's pansy purple eyes and wondered what Eric had done with it. And just then, I had a gruesome flash from Jason's mind of Eric dropping it to the ground and crushing it beneath his heel. My new husband had a brutal streak a mile wide. I sat down on the bed and Jason pushed the hair back away from my face.

"So, after Quinn gets away, we headed back to Fangtasia and Eric tells Pam to put the word out that there is a bounty on his head. I didn't hear how much, but you should have seen the parking lot clear out. I'm not kidding, I've never seen vampires move like that. Sam did something really nice for you though. He offered to get the Shifters in on the bounty, but Eric said he'd handle it; that you're his wife, and your honor is his responsibility." You had to love the way old-fashioned men respected things like honor and dignity.

"Sook, you take a shower and get dressed. I'll bring your breakfast up here if you'd like. And then maybe you can show me that fancy new house of yours? Not to mention the fact that you're supposed to be honeymooning by now." My own brother didn't think of this as my house anymore.

"I don't know if I can go back to Shreveport just yet."

"Well, why in blue blazes not? You didn't do anything wrong and you've got no reason to be ashamed. What that guy did to you was wrong and he got what he deserved and more's coming to him. If I ever lay eyes on him again, I just might take his other eye." Jason was sweet, and I knew he meant well, but for his sake, I hope he never did see Quinn again.

"Would you stay for a night or two? Just 'til I get my head on straight. Just 'til I can work this out with Eric, I know he's pissed at me for not being the one to tell him."

"I can stay, sure, but if he's pissed at you, you'd never know it. He was real upset this morning. He wanted to come down here and take you home, but Pam told him to give you a little time to get over your shock and embarrassment. He kept saying that you needed him and that he didn't want to let you down again."

That Pam, as Eric would say. She never stopped surprising me. I knew exactly what Eric was referring to. He was struggling with what to tell me that would appease me when he sent Bill to rescue me instead of coming himself. At this point, I was wondering how much difference it would make in our relationship. In my dream, death prevented Eric from coming. But given the fact that he was very much still here, I couldn't get my brain around it. If he'd needed me, I can't think of a single thing that would keep me from him.

Jason made the best pancakes in all of Louisiana. I don't know whether it was the butter or the pecans, or the real maple syrup, but I tore threw a stack and went looking for more. He handed me a napkin and I wiped my mouth. It would be nice to have him in Shreveport, even if it was just for a few days. He loved houses, and Ravenwood had so much to offer.

We stopped by my parents' old house and picked up things Jason would need to stay at my place for three days or so. I figured that was long enough to smooth the waters between Eric and me. There was a new family of ducks on Jason's pond and I threw some bread out for them while he showered, shaved and dressed. He came out in a clean t-shirt and jeans. My brother took a lot of pride in his appearance to the detriment of most of the single ladies in Bon Temps. But something in Jason had changed. Ever since he'd become a shifter, he'd been really careful about his associations. Jason used to be free and easy, and he'd tell you his life story over a beer. Now, he kept mostly to himself out here on the lake. I hated that my brother might be lonely, when I had found such happiness. He'd been in mourning long enough, it was time for him to find a woman and settle down. Scratch that, a human woman. Not part fairy, not part shifter, not vampire, not were-anything; just good old-fashioned woman. Hell, she could even be Catholic. I laughed at my own joke. My Gran would have appreciated the joke as some of her very own family had converted to Catholicism.

We loaded my tiny trunk with his things, and Jason stood staring at the back of my car. "SLK 55K AMG" We put the top down on my Mercedes and got out onto the road. Jason smoothed his hand over the dashboard and whistled. "Eric bought you this car right?" I nodded. "Damn, This set him back a good 65 grand at least."

"Oh, God, are you serious? I had no idea. That makes me nervous to drive the damned thing." I gripped the wheel tighter thinking of how most of the houses in Bon Temps were worth about that much.

"Not me, if you want me to drive, I sure will."

"Yeah, you had better drive. I'm kind of in shock right now." I pulled over at Whiskey's gas and bar-be-cue and we switched seats.

"Sookie, have you ever talked to Eric about money? I'm just saying when they paid you 50, 000 dollars to keep him, he didn't even bat an eye. He owns a bar for cryin' out loud. How much money do you think that guy has?"

"Wait until you see Ravenwood." He gave me a look. "Yeah, my new house has a name." Don't give me that look, I'm still Sookie Stackhouse on the inside. I just have a new last name to go with it and a few nicer things."

"Whatever you say, Little Bit."

I pulled up the directions to Ravenwood so that I could drift off mentally and not focus on tuning Jason out. I thought about what he'd said about Eric taking Quinn's eye and how Eric had tried to come to me this morning. Jason and I laughed and talked and we had ourselves a great time in the sunshine. I hoped Natalia was working so that I wouldn't feel so bad wandering around the house unescorted. Jason turned down Ravenwood Lane. I told him the gate code, which Bobby Burnham had put in my cell phone, and the gates swung open. We pulled up to the main doors, and Jason's eyes were as wide as I was expecting.

"Sookie, this isn't a house. This is a mansion."

"Yeah, I know, but Eric and I call it a house so…." It was still so very impressive to me. I didn't think that I'd ever reach a point where looking up at this house would not make me feel like the luckiest woman in Louisiana.

Oliver came out as we got Jason's bags out of the car. I guessed that the gate opening must alert Oliver that someone would be at the main house soon and he was to manage the car. I smiled at Oliver and Jason shook his hand. "Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's brother. Good to meet you."

"Oliver Haskins, but you can call me Ollie. Everyone does except for Mr. Northman." He pinched my cheek affectionately, which I found funny. "Congratulations, Mrs. Northman. I'm sure Mr. Eric will be quite pleased to see you looking so well."

"Thanks, Ollie. Do I give you the keys? Or how does this work?"

"I have a key to your car. There's a camera at the gate. When I see which car, I grab the keys. You keep your keys in your bag in case you need 'em."

We mounted the stairs and went inside. I felt a surge of awe and pride in my chest as I opened the door for Jason and he took in the grand staircase.

"Sookie, you're shittin' me right? This is yours? Hell, I'm moving to Shreveport." I laughed, "I wish you would. I don't want to be here in this big house by myself." I had a moment when I thought about what Bill Compton had said about Eric locking me up here by myself to await his awakening. I wouldn't let that happen to me. "Let's put your bag down in the cloak room first, then we'll figure out which rooms are what."

Natalia came around the corner and asked if we'd like a late lunch. Jason grinned as big as a jack-o-lantern, and I was glad that I'd invited him to stay with me.

After a lunch of bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches, I asked Natalia if she thought Eric would mind if I explored the house with Jason. She seemed to not understand why I was asking permission. I was trying to be polite, and she was stuck on the fact that as far as she had been told, Ravenwood was mine. Couldn't she understand how awkward I felt, wandering around Eric's house without him. I decided it might be better if Jason and I waited and explored the outdoors first. Eric told me that he had horses, and it had been years since I'd ridden a horse. I thought Jason might enjoy it too.

I asked Natalia where the horses were kept and she pointed out the kitchen window. I figured Jason and I would walk until we came to some outbuildings. But I had no way to know how large the grounds were. I hoped that we'd run into Ollie, Carl or Brady whom I'd yet to meet. Jason and I took off down the back stairs and across the lawn. There was a stunning swimming pool filled with turquoise water that I couldn't wait to plunge into. I didn't have a swimsuit with me, but I had time to get one before Eric woke up for the evening.

Jason noticed the barns before I did. It wasn't terribly far from the house, in fact, it was so nice out that the walk was pleasant. As we approached the barn, I caught sight of the greenhouse where Eric grew his amazing roses. I grabbed Jason's hand and we ran towards the door.

"I have to go in here first. Seriously, these roses are unreal. You saw my bouquet." I threw the door open and was floored by the sheer number of roses. I had never seen so many flowers in one place. The room was warm and moist, and the air was heavy with the smell of cinnamon, rose, soil, firewood, vanilla and something else. I spotted a lovely pink rose that was red at the base and pink at the tips like all the color was draining out. The underlying scent was rose, but the predominant scent was something I couldn't quite define. I thought of cake batter, but that wasn't quite it. I would have to remember to ask Eric later. I rubbed one of the roses on my neck and cheeks, hoping that he would smell it and remind me to ask him about it.

"I could get used to this place, it's really beautiful. Whatta ya think, Sook? Should we ride for a bit, then maybe go for a swim?"

"That sounds like the best idea ever." I waited for Jason to exit the green house and I pulled the door closed. I hoped Eric didn't mind me showing his roses off to Jason.

A small man came out of the barn and rushed up to me. Did Eric intentionally hire the shortest humans to make himself appear taller or was I imagining things?

"You must be Mrs. Northman, I'm Brady Madison. Pleased to meet you."

"_The _ Brady Madison, as in two-time winner of the Preakness, and the Kentucky Derby? Man, I can't believe it, Sookie do you know who this is?"

"I also took the Belmont, but who's keeping track? Get it, track?" He grabbed Jason's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Pleased to meet you." I nodded and looked down at the wee man. "Eric said that I'm to ask you about riding Avalon, I think."

"Oh, dear. Surely you're mistaken, did he say Arkady perhaps? Either that, or Eric is having a laugh. That must be it. He's playing with us. Oh, that Eric, you'll know he was joking when you see Avalon in person. Avalon, eh? That's really funny. We'll talk about which of his ladies you might find yourself a-riding. Or do you think you'd be more suited to the gents? I'm still talking horses, young lass. I seen your eyes go big. She got nervous, eh fella? He playfully poked Jason in the ribs. Jason just grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. I looked around at the stalls, and didn't quite know what to say.

"I really don't know. I haven't been on a horse since I was 14 to tell you the truth." Brady's eyes really did twinkle, and I understood what people meant when they said someone could light up a room. He was jovial to a fault and treated us as if we were his long lost kin.

"Come on in here, let's get you on a horse." He sized me up visually, handed me a saddle and determined that I needed a horse of about 15 hands or so. "Now, pretty lady, tell me about a time when you were really happy about something."

I immediately smiled and thought of last night, staring up at Eric as he became my husband. Brady scratched his chin and motioned for us to follow him. We stopped in front of a stall with a chestnut colored gelding whose name was written in Cyrillic above his head.  
"So, who's this guy? He's beautiful." I watched as Brady opened the stall and began shushing him to keep him calm. I was very excited to ride and spend some time talking with Jason. We'd never been as close as we had these past six months.

Brady led the horse out into the ring, and got a saddle on him. "What's his name?" Brady smiled, come to think of it, he hadn't stopped smiling since we'd walked up. I began to wonder if he hadn't been kicked in the head once or twice. "I'll whisper it to you. He gets super excited when you say it out loud." He leaned in close and whispered into my ear, "His name is Lois." I slipped my foot into the stirrup and threw my right leg over his back. "No, really? So, whose idea was Lois?" The horse snorted and shook his head. Apparently, the horse didn't like it any better. I held on tightly. "And Lois is a boy right? I mean I saw--"

"Yep. He sure is, and a good one at that, but that shouldn't matter, right? Now, young man, how about we get you on Satie." Brady helped Jason onto a black mare that didn't seem at all pleased to have someone on her back. She flicked her tail, and bucked under the saddle a bit. She snorted and got foamy around her lips. I had to wonder if Brady knew what he was doing. But Jason stuck with it.

Brady led us around the ring so that we could get used to riding and taught us the body movements to command the horses to stop and go. He offered to accompany us since we didn't know the property very well. Plus, Satie was being a pure bitch and Jason had to hang on for dear life. I was hoping for some time to talk with him, but it was probably just as well. Brady led us past the stalls and I saw a horse that could only be Avalon. He was freakishly tall and his legs were so muscular, he looked more like an elephant than a horse. "Oh, my word. Thanks, Eric."

"Yeah, that would be His Royal Highness, Prince Avalon. He's a Shire horse, and he stands at slightly over 19 hands. Which would be just over 6 foot four to you. He's descended from the Romanov's stable stud."

"And that's the horse Eric suggested for me?" Eric had such a ridiculous sense of humor. I would ask him about that later too.

Jason, Brady and I rode for over an hour and got a great tour of the exterior of Ravenwood. I was getting tired, so we headed back to the stables. Poor Jason, Satie had been a horse that spent most of her time in the tree line, dragging Jason through branches and getting him snagged on everything she could find. She reared up several times, and Jason had to hold on to her mane to get her to settle down. He was a good sport about it, but Brady had been so wrong about pairing Jason and Satie. When we arrived at the stables, Brady took the reins of each horse and told us to go on up to the house; he would take care of the horses. I thought about speaking to Eric about hiring Brady some help so he didn't have to do all of the work by himself, but three other men came out of an office to assist.

I was wiped out and could use a shower. I showed Jason the second floor bedrooms and told him that he could temporarily use one that didn't appear to be used for anything. Eric had said that the staff had their own houses, so I hoped it would be okay.

Jason and I toured the room, it was not nearly as large as Eric's and my room, but it was a good size. The bathroom was equally impressive. Jason spotted the steam and rain shower and told me to beat it. I laughed and told him that I'd meet him out by the pool. I was just going to wear my bra and panties and hope that none of the staff would mind.

I went to my room, and looked around. It was tidy and bright and I wished Eric could be with me. I closed the door and walked in slowly. I didn't know if Eric could hear me since he was sleeping, or if he was close enough to hear what I said, but not necessarily respond. I sat on the bed and sighed.

"Eric, I'm home. Honey, I missed you last night. I know you tried to come to me, and I'm glad that you tried, but I did need the time to be alone. I don't know if you can hear me, but I can't wait for you to get up. I need you. I need you to hold me. Things got out of hand last night, and I just need us to reconnect. I love you. I mean it, I love you Eric. I'm so, so sorry that I didn't tell you about Quinn. I had no way to know that he would do this to us." I looked at my watch; it was just after five. It would still be a little while before Eric would join me. "I'll come find you at sundown if you can hear me. Sleep well, my love." I went into the bathroom and changed, slipping into my robe. I had sunscreen in the bag I'd brought with me previously, so I didn't have to search for it. Jason was already poolside by the time I got downstairs. He'd managed to find some beers and a bucket of ice.

"What took you so long, Sook? This water is amazing. It tastes like the ocean."

"Salt water pool, maybe? I saw these on HGTV at Dr. Knowland's office." Dr. Knowland was the shakiest dentist in all the world, but he was a sweetheart, so you couldn't really mind too much, except you worried he'd poke you in the eye. "Well, I'm getting in for a dip, then getting a little more sun." Jason jumped in beside me and splashed water in my face. It was like being 12 years old all over again.

I noticed that the sun was beginning to set and I told Jason that I wanted to be upstairs when Eric woke up. I promised him that we would come down for him as soon as we had had a chance to talk, but he was more interested in the LSU game that was starting at seven.

I wrapped up in a towel and threw on my robe. I was taking the stairs two at a time to get to him. Eric came out into the hall as I approached the bedroom door. His sleeping space had to be in our room then. How had I missed it? I threw myself into his arms and he lifted me up and kissed me.

"I heard you, my darling. I wasn't sleeping very soundly because I've been worried sick about you. Come here." He opened the bedroom door and we rushed to our bed. He had my robe off in seconds, and we were making love within moments. Afterwards, he held me and smoothed my hair while kissing my ear.

"You don't think I believed for one second that you willingly had sex with Quinn?"

"I didn't have sex with him. He attacked me, Eric. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to kill him. I didn't want to have his murder on my hands."

"I suspect that it was Quinn that drained me." I thought I'd misheard him because it had sounded as if he'd said Quinn drained him. "What? How? Are you sure?" Was Quinn really that hateful? Was he really that jealous of Eric?

"I got a call from someone saying that you had been taken from Merlotte's. Ever since this thing with the fairies, it's as if I'm just waiting for the worst, that someone will take you from me. I couldn't feel anything from you at all. I was on my way to Bon Temps when my car was struck and pushed into a ravine. I was dazed momentarily and I saw someone in all black clothing approach me with a silver net. My left leg was pinned and I couldn't move. I was dazed from the wreck, so I wasn't sure what was happening right away. I suspected him when you told me that he approached you at the mall it was too coincidental that he would be there. " He was quiet for a moment. "His life will be miserable. Every supernatural creature in North America and maybe the world will be looking for him. I could take my revenge on him in my own way for draining me if he indeed did it. But for what he has done to you….Well, let's just say that I have put a bounty on his head for attacking and embarrassing you."

"Jason told me what happened. He also told me about the bounty. How much is it? I want to know if I could add 1200 dollars to it."

"We can talk about that some other time."

"No, Eric! If he is responsible for draining you, and what he did to me."

"I don't like to talk about money, Sookie." He could tell by the set of my jaw that I wasn't going to give up that easily. "I guess you'll find out soon enough." He sighed. "Two million."

"Two million dollars?"

"Not two million pesos." He laughed and I understood how I must have sounded, but I wasn't used to thinking of money in terms that large. "Yes, one for each of us, or two for you if he didn't drain me, but I think it was him."

"Eric, I can't let you part with that kind of money on my behalf. That's way too much. Not to be indelicate or anything, but can you afford that?"

"This is why I don't like to talk about money." He sat up, and I sat up beside him.

"Baby, just tell me something. Are you really rich? I feel awful for asking, but I have cost you a lot of money lately, and I just –I can't feel good about this bounty if I think that you're going to have to sell some stuff off, or burn your furniture instead of firewood. I mean as lovely as the draperies on this bed are, I could make a few dresses, maybe work some extra shifts at Merlotte's."

"Oh, Lover. You are funny. I'll tell you what, you just trust that money will never be an issue for either of us and let me handle it."

"Oh, now you're the one being funny. I can't do that and if you expect me to, then we've got a problem. I didn't come into this with a whole lot except my pride and I won't be handing that over any time soon."

"Sookie, I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I don't want you to think about what you're bringing to our relationship financially. This isn't a contest. This isn't about inheritance, so don't worry about it."

"I know you say that, but I'm no sponge. I can and will earn my way through the world." I crossed my arms and he threw his up in exasperation.

"You are so damned stubborn, woman! Fine! Have it your way. Work if you like, but I have about 50 million dollars." He laughed again and pulled the sheet off exposing his long legs and muscular butt.

"Oh? See…. was that so hard?"

"You should see your face right now."

"That's a lot." I was quiet for a moment. But he must have known the question was coming. "What are you doing running a vampire bar in Shreveport, Louisiana?"

He shrugged. "It makes me happy. And when it stops making me happy, I'll do something else. It really isn't that complicated."

"Well, okay, then."

"So, Mrs. Northman…."

"Yes, Mr. Northman?" We laughed. We were so good together. I was happier than I'd ever been.

"Can we let this money thing go? Just use what you need if it makes you uncomfortable. You can't spend it all, so don't worry. I can get you your own charge card, but I want to share my things with you. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't. I need to eat, and I have things to tell you so we should probably get dressed. Would you consider letting me take you on a trip?"

"I would love a trip more than I can say right now."

"Do you have a passport, my love?'

"Yes, actually. Bill suggested that I get one a few years ago. I tucked it away in a drawer and forgot about it. Should I go back to Bon Temps and get it?'

"No, I can send Bobby to retrieve it tomorrow, or Friday. Would Paris be acceptable? I have something that I must do."

"Are you serious? Would Paris be acceptable? Oh, Eric, I would love to go to Paris with you. Or anywhere for that matter." I kissed his cheek and pulled his head down to my neck.

"Sookie, baby, I can feed elsewhere if you'd like."

"Eric, it's our honeymoon. Don't be coy. He licked his lips slowly and then began kissing my neck. I moaned softly and he sank his teeth into me. I felt myself sink into the pillows, and then I had a flash from his mind. He was thinking of being somewhere cold, wrapped in animal skins. He was remembering hunting, and being in his village. I got the feeling from his mind and his heart that I reminded him of what it was like to be young.

"Eric, I want to tell you something that I've been keeping secret."

He stopped drinking for a moment and I felt his fangs retracting slightly.

"No, Honey, it's not bad. Not really. It's just that, sometimes, I get glimmers of your thoughts. You're the only vampire that I've gotten flashes from. Well, there was one other time, but he's dead now. Anyway, I just find it interesting. As if you and I were meant to be together and I thought you'd like to know."

When I felt him licking my wounds closed, I kissed his neck and he sighed. "My love, as long as we're sharing secrets, I have something to tell you. I've never, ever, ever trusted a human as much as I'm trusting you. Will you keep my confidence?"

"Eric, I swear, I would rather die than tell anyone what you're about to tell me if it's that important."

"Come, I want to show you something." He took me by the hand and pulled me out of our bed. He led me to the left side of the bed and knelt down. The platform the bed rested on had built in cabinets. When Eric pulled on the knob of the first cabinet, I realized what he was about to show me. This was his sleeping space. The cabinet door was divided into four drawers for show, the whole door tilted down and I could see that the underside went down about three feet. All Eric had to do was scoot down and into his cubby. It was as wide as the bed and I couldn't see into it because it was dark. Eric scooted down into it and turned on a light under the bed. He reached out to me and I wasn't sure what he meant at first. I took his hand and he pulled me towards him. I scooted down into his crypt with him and was surprised by how comfortable it was. It was lined in silk, with pillows everywhere much like a Turkish lounge. There were books, and a stereo against the box to the far side. I saw one of my scarves that I thought I had misplaced. He must have taken it back when he stayed with me. I realized that he had been missing me. I couldn't sit up of course, but it was not nearly as bad as the hole in my closet floor back in Bon Temps.

"This is where I'll be, right underneath you. That's why I can hear you. You can talk to me anytime you want. I had to show you because I didn't know how I could keep it from you."

"Can I stay with you sometime?"

"That's not something you would want. It's dark, it's---"

"No, I want to be able to be with you sometimes. Don't fight me, you know I'll get my way eventually, so why go through this?"

He laughed. "You little minx. Fine, whenever you'd like." He kissed me and I grabbed my scarf.

"Surely my scent has worn off of this by now." He looked slightly embarrassed.

"I hope you don't mind. When I stayed with you, I kept it with me because you were my only link to the world. You were always on my mind, and I wasn't sure why. It made me feel better when I was not myself, and I found it in my jeans pocket after Hallow was killed. I didn't know how to give it back to you."

"I don't want you to give it back. The idea that I've meant so much to you is touching. I wish you had told me how you felt a long time ago. You might have saved me some grief and a few nights of heartache." He began crawling out of his cubby and pulled me up towards him. I crawled up and out of the base of the bed and sprawled out on the sheets. He followed me.

"I didn't know what to make of the fact that I was in love with a human. No offense, but what if you suddenly found yourself in love with--" He saw my expression change, and he chose his words carefully. "I'm only saying that it took a lot for me to come around to see that you are not entirely human, and even if you were, I don't know that I could resist you." I raised my eyebrow at him expressing that I was dubious, but he knew I was playing. "Angel, I want to ask you, did I hear your brother here? I hope so. I would really like it if he could stay with us for a few weeks, until this situation blows over."

"Yes, you did hear Jason. I hope you don't mind. I invited him to stay because I didn't want to be alone during the day. Would you please show us around? We've been waiting for you to wake up all day."

"Show you around? This is your house! You go wherever you'd like. Don't shake that pretty little head at me. You didn't have to wait for me."

"I put him in the guest bedroom two doors down, I hope that room isn't set aside for anyone else."

"Who else would be here? The staff have their own houses down the lane."

"Well, I don't know." I laughed and playfully hit his bottom.

"So, if I am smelling correctly, you have been to my greenhouse and found my newest project."

"Oh my God, that's right, the roses. I meant to ask you about that. What is that scent? The red and pink roses?" They smell familiar, yet, I can't make out what I'm smelling."

"Really? I thought it would be obvious to you of all people."

"It smells kind of like cake batter, and vanilla ice cream and I don't know, like an outdoor birthday party."

"Like sunshine, and cake and ice cream and candy sprinkles?"

"Yeah, that's what it is." I dragged my fingers up and down his arm.

"It's funny that you can't recognize the smell. It's what you smell like to me."

"Oh, Eric. That's so sweet."

"I'm calling them Stackhouse roses, in honor of my beautiful wife. I love you, Sookie." He leaned in and kissed me softly. I looked up at him, disbelieving that this was the same Eric who had stepped on someone's eyeball last night.

"So, Jason and I rode your horses this afternoon."

"Really? Did you ride Avalon, He's a majestic animal isn't he?"

"Are you serious? He's as tall as you are. There's no way I could ride that beast."

"Hey, he's royalty. You be respectful." I hit him playfully.

"You were playing with me. That horse is monstrous."

"Which horse did you end up riding?" He kissed the tip of my nose and I kissed his chin lightly.

"I rode Lois, he's a great horse, but I don't know why you'd ever name a male horse Lois."

"His name is not Lois. God, Brady knows better. His name is Loshad. It's horse in Russian. I couldn't come up with a name for him and I just call him horse. Where the hell he came up with Lois is beyond me. Did Jason ride Arkady, or Thor?"

"Neither actually. He rode Sadie. Brady said that Sadie was the best horse for him, but I don't know, she seemed to hate having anyone on her back. Poor Jason was almost thrown like four times."

"Satie, hunh? No one rides that miserable bitch. She's a terrible horse. I should have shot her a long time ago."

"How can you say that about an animal?"

"Yeah, Satie with a T, not a D. is short for Satan, as in spawn of. She has thrown nearly every person who's bothered to climb on; She gets meaner every year that passes. She kicks the other horses when they go to pasture. She has bitten me every time I've gone near her. I can't stand that awful nag."

"Jason rode her for over an hour. And yeah, she put him through it, but not like what you're describing."

"That's interesting, Sookie. No one has been able to ride her for at least six years." He got quiet for a few moments and I wondered what he was thinking about. I saw him staring up at the mural above our bed. "Jason fought hard for you last night, you would have been proud of him."

"I am proud of him. He's been super supportive of me. I hope the two of you can get to know each other a little better over the next few nights."

"I would like that." He climbed out of the bed and I followed him. We showered and dressed, then I went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Natalia had left us a wonderful dinner of cheeseburgers, fries and cokes. I guessed that Jason met Natalia on his search for beers and an ice bucket and he didn't hesitate when she asked him what he'd like to eat.

I ate quickly, asking Eric question after question about Paris. I had always dreamed of going to Paris, and now I would be there in just a few days. I had to pack and learn enough French to keep Eric safe while we transported him. I would get myself a camera and take pictures of everything I'd read about in history class. Eric would be my history book in the evening. He told me of the wild parties that he attended in the court of the French King Louis X1V, before his death in 1715. He laughed as he recalled how prostitutes washed themselves after customers with gin if they had it, piss if they didn't. I was grossed out, and he was amused by my squeamishness. Eric poured a glass of _Royalty_, the very expensive blood of kings and queens. I wasn't sure how the company obtained it, but it made sense that I rarely saw Eric drinking TrueBlood, the common vampire's drink of choice.

I washed my dishes and he dried them, putting them in the cabinets. I could hardly believe that he and I were doing something so normal as washing dishes. He probably couldn't believe it either if I asked him about it. Jason heard us laughing in the kitchen and joined us. He told Eric embarrassing stories about when I was a teenager, and I swatted his arm. Jason had a beer with his cheeseburger and we laughed about Jason's ride on Satie. Eric speculated that Jason contained so much magic being part fairy and part were-panther that Satie had finally met her match. Eric told Jason that if he could break her, he could have her. Jason did the polite thing and declined at first, but Eric insisted, and I knew my brother really wanted to accept. I told Jason to go ahead and accept Eric's gift, and that seemed to make it easier for him to say yes.

We went out into the foyer and Eric began our tour of Ravenwood. We marveled at the soaring ceilings, the crystal, gold and silver. Every room seemed to be grander than the next. The library was my favorite. The fireplace was made of stone and was at least four feet deep and seven feet wide. It was like a castle or an English pub. Each available wall was covered in books from floor to ceiling. Eric said this was one of three libraries in the house. He was incredibly well read, and I was surprised to see quite a few pop horror novels sharing the shelves with so-called great authors. I couldn't wait for a nice rainy afternoon to start a fire, curl up in the window seat and read through a book or two. The window looked out over a row of pear trees. Eric had worked hard to make Ravenwood suit him perfectly. The fact that he was willing to give all of this to me choked me up a bit. Eric sensed my sudden mood change, and he pulled me aside.

"Lover, is something wrong?"

"Not at all, baby. I'm just –I'm okay. This is overwhelming, that's all."

"We can stop here. I realize that you must be exhausted and I don't want you upset. Jason, if you will excuse us, Sookie and I are retiring for the evening."

"Yeah, I'm going to head into town, stop by Fangtasia. Pam invited me out for a drink."

"Really? I know you don't need me to tell you this, but Pam is--"

"I think I can handle myself, but thanks for the warning. Sookie, you feeling okay, you look a little green around the gills."

"Uh-hunh," I nodded. "I've just been through a lot in the last few weeks and I could use some rest. My car keys and house keys are hanging on the rack in the foyer." Eric moved vampire fast to the foyer and was back with the keys before Jason could respond. He was twice as fast as he had been before Mahesh-Ra's blood. He moved so quickly now that I wasn't sure he was visible to un-enhanced humans. I had begun to think of myself as enhanced because my teeth were sharper, my vision clearer and my hearing more acute. I had told Eric that I didn't want to be turned, but it seemed to be happening slowly as I ingested more and more blood. Mahesh-Ra's blood had pushed me over some edge.

"I don't put the alarm on at night since I'm awake, so don't worry about coming in." Eric put his hand on Jason's shoulder and I immediately knew that they had had some sort of male bonding over the Quinn incident. Jason nodded, then kissed my cheek. It would be wonderful having him around.

As Jason went out the front doors, Eric and I ascended the stairs. I held his hand as we walked slowly.

"I feel as if there is something that you'd like to discuss with me, Angel."

I pulled our bedroom door closed and Eric opened the doors to our adjoining suite.

"Something is happening to me isn't it?" I sat down on the couch facing the windows and Eric sat beside me.

"I was going to say something to you about that, but yes. You have had a tremendous amount of our blood and I sense that you are not only sampling me anymore, but that you may actually need it. I sense that you are feeling weak without it, and I'm going to have to talk to Mahesh-Ra when we see her in Paris."

"Baby, I don't want to be turned, but I bite you when we are making love because I love making you happy. I don't want you to think that I'm not into it." He took my hand and kissed it. He seemed warmer to me, which probably meant that I was actually colder.

"You never have to worry that I don't think you're into it. You are the most enthusiastic of anyone that I have _ever_ been with. But what concerns me is if you cross the line that leaves you in a limbo state of having vampiric attributes without actually being vampire. I'm concerned that you may reach a point where you cannot have babies, or tolerate the sun, but that you won't have to sleep at night or during the day. I just don't know enough about how this works in someone who is part fairy. I do know that I don't want to see you regret your decision to be with me."

"No, no, Eric, I will never regret it. Never. I told you before, I don't know if I want kids, honey."

"I would not blame you if you did. I actually want that for you. And honestly, I'd want it for me. Sookie, I'm not ever going to turn you, which means that I will lose you someday. If you did have a child, I would have a part of you that belongs to me."

"That's so sad. Eric, I never thought of it that way." I looked down at our joined hands. His slender fingers were almost translucent. "I wouldn't be able to have your child."

"That is not so important to me. I would only ask that if you start having those feelings, that you not be afraid to discuss it with me."

"I don't think I want to bring a child into a world where I am constantly looking over my shoulder---"

"That's not going to happen. I'm going to take care of that as best I can. I promise. Just talk to me, okay."

"I promise, Love." I leaned in and kissed him, enjoying just being together and relaxing. We spent the evening talking and I confessed that I'm actually a pretty good chess player. He challenged me to prove it, so I solidly beat him twice and did a little dance of happiness each time. I was so happy that he put up a fight and actually tried really hard to beat me. By round three when I had his Queen cornered in a move that I saw much earlier, He lifted me over the table, threw me across his lap and playfully spanked me. I laughed at being so suddenly airborne and swatted. That turned into a bit of a struggle as I squirmed out of his arms and onto the floor. He pinned me there and kissed me and that led to other things.

He joined me in the shower after and I reached up to wash his back. I saw the last of the claw marks that I'd made fading and I licked them before each could close up. He tasted so good to me now that I couldn't help myself.

He turned to face me and grabbed my wrist. "Sookie, I want to test something." He bit my wrist, drank for a moment, then asked me to lick my arm. I put my wrist to my mouth and began licking as I'd seen him do many times for me. I was not totally surprised that the bleeding began to taper off. He finished the job for me and I kissed his bloody mouth. He pushed me against the glass and we made love again.

My legs were trembling and he carried me to our bed, a cloud of steam following as we exited the bathroom. He whispered that he loved me over and over as I began to fall asleep in his arms. I was utterly exhausted.

I felt myself being carried into the darkened room, and Neave's hands found my thighs. She leaned over me and bit my cheeks and ears. She seemed to take pleasure in threatening to ruin my face. I opened my mouth to scream but felt Lochlan's mouth on mine suddenly. He pushed Neave aside and bit my left shoulder. I cried out in pain and pulled at the restraints binding my wrists. I could not let this happen. I scanned the room for help, and I saw Eric in the corner. Thank God, he would save me. I looked him in the eyes, pleadingly. He just stood, silently watching as Lochlan pushed me down onto the floor and kicked me in the stomach.

"Eric, why won't you help me?" A slow smile crept across his face and he knelt beside me. I felt relief wash over me as I felt myself being lifted from the floor. But something was not right, instead of untying me, he pulled my arms tighter, nearly pulling them out of the sockets.

"No, Eric. Don't do this, why won't you save me?" I cried out as I felt my arms snap and give way. He bit my neck and I screamed….

I sat up in bed knowing that I'd been thrashing around; the sheets were tangled around me and I reached for Eric. He was sitting with his back to me on the edge of the bed. I crawled over and wrapped myself around him. My breathing was ragged and I began crying.

"How long has this been going on?" His voice was thick.

"Since I got home. Will you hold me?" I couldn't understand why he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Why wasn't he trying to comfort me? Maybe the dreams meant something more than I was willing to acknowledge. I crawled out of the bed and onto the floor in front of him; I needed to be held. I saw blood streaking down his face and chest. Eric had been crying.

"Oh, Love—What's going on?"

"I can't protect you. I want these things to never have happened to you and I can't make them go away. I stayed away from you because I could feel that you were becoming angrier and angrier with me for not saving you. You think that I've let you down and I had no way to prove otherwise."

"Eric, tell me what is going on. You tell me now. I need to know now."

"I can't tell you. I wanted to. I wished that you would let it go and that you would somehow just forget about it, but ----"

"No! You need to tell me I can't live like this anymore. You said you had a reason for not coming, so you tell me now or we're done." I was serious. Even if the answer was just that he didn't think me worth saving, or he was getting a manicure, I just wanted an answer.

He stared down at me and cried softly, his eyes red rimmed from the blood. "No matter how badly I may want to help you, in the daytime, I am powerless….I am struggling with the idea that you may need me and I won't be able to help you. This is your greatest fear, and you think that I let you down….I never wanted to tell you this…. but when the fairies had you…." he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "When they….I tried to come to you. I did hear you, Sookie. I could feel everything you were enduring and my heart was breaking for you….I sent Bill to rescue you….because" He paused and I waited, afraid to hear his answer. "Because Niall asked me to go to Hunter….Breandan sent a fairy after him…."

"What? My God, what happened? Is he okay?"

"In time…. He will recover….he is strong, like you…. Bill wouldn't go to Hunter. He said that he wouldn't risk his life for any other human but you, so I went to him knowing that I could get Bill to help you. Believe me, I wanted to save you myself. I would have killed a thousand fairies to bring you home. I'm so sorry."

"How did they find him? How did they know?" He stood suddenly and crossed the room. "Eric, answer me. How did they…..Oh, God." It hit me as if I had been physically moved and I felt nauseous. I had gone to see Hunter in Red Ditch. He was just a four-year-old boy then and I was curious about him. "I led them to him." I sat on the floor looking up at him. He nodded slowly.

"I didn't want to tell you this, I didn't want….this. He'll be all right. He's with Niall now."

"Where is his father, Remy?" I waited and Eric shook his head again.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. Hunter barely made it, his father did everything he could."

"This is all my fault." I knew that I could have led them straight to Hunter. I'd avoided meeting with Remy again until the fairy mess was over, but I'd underestimated the end game for Breandan and his supporters. "It's all my fault." I put my head on my knees and sobbed. Eric lifted me into his arms gently and held me close. He hadn't wanted to tell me because he was protecting me, yet again. I felt awful.

"No….this is the fault of the fairies, my love."

I cried myself to sleep with Eric holding me. I awoke in bright sunshine and didn't quite know if the sun was hurting my eyes because I'd been crying, or if it was a side effect of the blood. Eric had already gone to bed. I'd spent most of my time with him crying and then fell asleep. He'd spent the rest of the evening alone. I rolled over onto my stomach and kissed the mattress. He was asleep directly underneath me. I wished I could hold him. I showered and dressed for the day, planning to head back to Bon Temps to get my passport and the rest of my clothes. I also wanted to get a video camera for the trip.

I passed Jason's room and knocked softly. I didn't know what time he'd come in, so I hoped that I wasn't waking him. He mumbled for me to come in and I climbed the platform and sat on the edge of his bed. Before I knew that Eric had built vampire crawl spaces under the beds, I had thought these platforms were a silly affectation, but now I realized that these were proper guest bedrooms for visiting vampires.

Jason opened one eye and pulled the blanket up around his neck.

"Hey, J, I see Miss Pam wore you out last night." A slow smile crept across his face.

"She's somethin' else altogether Sookie. We did have a wild night, but I was a gentlemen and she was running the bar, so I just sort of hung out with her, got to know her a little. I'm going to see her again tonight. She said Kellan is going to run the bar. I actually ended up coming back here around 3 after the bar closed. You were sleeping so Eric and I went riding. Sookie, if you get a chance, you need to see Eric on Avalon. I'm not a short guy, but it's an impressive sight."

"I'm sure he is. I thought wistfully about missing an entire evening with my new husband and I found myself wishing the day would go faster. As it was, I was going to have hardly anything to do after 2. "Are you two getting along okay?"

"You know, so far. I mean he and I won't ever be sitting around watching football and drinking beers, so there's a little bit of awkwardness. Plus, he's so damned old. I just feel like, what would this guy want to hang around with me for? But I guess that's what family is for, right? They kind of have to accept you. But man, Sook, I wish you could see him when he talks about you, that guy's nuts about you. He's all, "Sookie this, and Sookie that. Not to bring up a sore subject but, I gotta say, I never saw Bill get like that."

"Yeah, well the Queen must not have been paying him enough to have the warm fuzzies over me."

"Oh shit, Little Bit, is that what that was about? I didn't know. I'm an asshole, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it J. Listen, I'm going to Bon Temps to get some more of my things. I don't want you wondering where I've gone okay."

"If you let me sleep a little longer, I'll go with you."

"No, no, I can go by myself. You sleep. I'll be back before too long." I got up to leave and Jason grabbed my arm.

"Sookie, I kind of promised Eric that I'd keep an eye on you. He told me not to tell you, because he knows you. But seriously, just let me go with you okay. You don't know what it's like for a guy to think that your girl is out there and you can't protect her. If I could have had someone with Crystal…." His voice tapered off and I realized that his pain was as fresh as if it had been yesterday. I didn't fight him.

"Take your time then, I'll be around. I didn't see the rest of the house."

"I love this place, Sook. Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for coming, I know you have your own life and you're wasting your vacation days on me."

"No problem, no problem. Hey and thanks for letting me drive that badass car of yours. I got so many looks last night. I could have gotten so much ass."

"Ewwww, I do not need to be stuck with that image. Gross."

I shut his door and went back to my bedroom. I missed Eric so much. I stood beside the bed wondering if it was too soon to visit him in his sleeping space. I knew that he would register my presence, but I didn't want to be pushy; he should be able to have his privacy. I debated it for a few moments, but decided he wouldn't mind so much. I closed the draperies to minimize the amount of light flooding into our room. The room was significantly darker, but still too bright for a vampire's comfort. I would move quickly. I pulled the panel down and crawled down into Eric's "room." I closed the door quickly, hearing Eric groan behind me. I let my eyes adjust and could make out his form lying beneath my side of the bed.

"I'm sorry, baby. I don't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to be near you for a few minutes." Eric was once again sleeping soundly, so he didn't answer. I snuggled up to him and kissed his cool cheek. There was something cozy about being in the dark, confined space with him. Eric was completely vulnerable in this state, and he trusted me above any other human in the world.

I ran my hand across his chest. I lay my palm flat where his motionless heart lay. What would it feel like to not feel a flutter in your chest when the person you loved walked in? What must it be like to not need to eat food, use the bathroom, breathe heavily if you ran too hard. What was it like to feel cold and heat, but not the discomfort? I shivered in the darkness thinking that these things could be my reality if I chose it. How would that affect my relationship with Eric if he were my maker? Could I still be his wife? Would I want to be? Would I have to see another vampire to turn me? But then I'd be loyal to that vampire.

I thought about what Eric had said about having a baby so that he would have a part of me after I passed. How awful it must have been for him all these years, wanting to be in love and not allowing yourself to be because you either had to turn them or lose them. Pam told me that Eric made her because he was lonely. I hated to be alone more than anything, and trying to wrap my brain around being alone for decades was as hard a concept as trying to perceive God.

I had no measure for my own mortality. My human relatives were deceased, and my part fairy family had perished due to accident or disease. But Niall gave me hope that I could have inherited some gene that would help me live a little longer than the average human. I wanted this for Eric, as well as myself. I thought maybe I could give him a child someday. Someday when we were safe and no one wanted to kill us. I kissed his still mouth and trailed my lips down to his ear. I felt him stir beside me.

"I love you so much, Eric. Sleep well, baby." I crawled over to the door and I heard him groan again as he rolled towards me.

"Thanks for coming to see me, Angel." He was still again and I smiled in the darkness as I crawled out of his nook and up into our bedroom. I went downstairs towards the kitchen. A young man was putting fresh flowers in the vases in the foyer. This must be Anton.

"Well hello, you must be Anton, I'm Sookie. I stuck my hand out and he transferred a bundle of roses from his right hand to his left and shook my hand.

"Szdras-voy cha, Mrs. Northman." He took one of the roses out and handed it to me. It was a Stackhouse rose. I inhaled deeply and smiled as I walked into the kitchen. The view from the breakfast nook was gorgeous. There were three deer eating together in the tree line, and I saw several birds scrambling away from a bird feeder hung from a post near the gazebo. There was a squirrel rocking the feeder. Didn't Anton know to grease the post with shortening? I would have to teach him that trick. I went through the kitchen until I found the pantry. It was like walking into a mini version of Brookshire's grocery.

I decided to take the time to make myself a giant bowl of oatmeal. As I stirred the milk in the pot, I wondered about what Eric said about me needing blood, not just sampling him. I hadn't given it much thought. But I had to admit, the idea of drinking blood no longer repulsed me the way that it had when I first became entangled with the vampires. In fact, Eric's blood hadn't tasted like any other. Maybe it was because I love him, I thought.

I poured the oatmeal in and wondered if there were raisins in the pantry. Of course there probably were. Eric had told Natalia to fill the pantry with food for me, and everyone obeyed Eric. There were probably kumquats if I looked hard enough. Jason came down the stairs looking a bit scruffy, but alert.

"Sookie, sookie." He threw open the fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice.

I had always wondered about the judgment my parents showed in letting Jason name me. The story was that he'd been trying to say cookie because I've apparently always smelled of baked goods, depending on the sniffer.

"I've got oatmeal here."

"What are you, Gran now? Who eats that shit?"

"I eat this shit. Do you want some?"

"No, thanks, Sook. I'm going to scramble up some man food; eggs, bacon, toast."

"Nothing manly about a heart attack." I stirred in some maple syrup.

"I don't want my breakfast to make me feel like a little bitch."

"Are you calling me a little bitch?"

"Are you answering to it?"

I laughed at him and hit him with a dishtowel. "Did those guys from Habitat for Humanity ever show up at my house? They're not going to rummage through my stuff are they?"  
"They should be here… what is today? Thursday? They'll be here Sunday night. I'm going to head down to Bon Temps to get them settled in and get some of my things too. And no, they aren't going to rummage through your precious panties."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Although, I kind of was and decided that I would bring all of my personal things with me back to Ravenwood just in case. "Hey, would you mind driving your truck over so I can get my stuff?"

"You want any of that stuff from Gran's house? You have everything you need except clothes, and even those can be replaced." That was my brother, always so practical.

"This is all Eric's stuff. I do miss some of my things. I can't just melt into his household and not have some of my own things here."

"I'd pile all that shit on the front lawn, set fire to it and kiss being poor goodbye. You haven't yet embraced your wealth. By the way, did you have that talk we talked about?"

"Oh my God, did we ever." I lowered my voice. I knew that Eric probably couldn't hear me, but I didn't want to take that chance, not to mention the staff wandering around. "I almost threw up. It's obscene."

"I won't get in your business, but is it like 10 or 15?"

"Not even close, let's just say it's a lot."

He whistled and said, "Well, all right. Sis. You didn't do too badly."

"Oh, stop it. That's not why I'm here. I love him and you know it."

"I know, I'm just teasing you. Now you're all stuck up and can't take a joke."

"I am not. I am handling this very well if you ask me. But I have to tell you, I was in the shower thinking about all the things I could afford now. Remember when we were little and mom and dad found that oil on their land and we thought we'd be super rich? Remember that night we went through that catalogue circling all the things we would buy?" We'd sat together on the porch swing giggling and saying "I want that" to just about every item we came across in the Montgomery Ward catalogue. Even if we didn't know what it was, or what it was for. Jason smiled, and looked as if he was remembering that day. Our parents came home with a check and took us out to Red Lobster in Shreveport. Jason and I thought we would be like the kids on TV with three cars each, an in-ground pool and a vacation home. The money seemed to have come in, but our lives didn't change all that drastically. "I kind of had that feeling, but at the same time, I didn't earn the money myself, so it's hard to think about spending it."

"Not me. Let me fall into a pile of money any time soon. I'll be wearing money underwear."

"And you'd be poor again in a month."

"But what a month it would be, right?"

We cleaned up our dishes and walked towards the garage. I thought Jason was going to have a seizure on the lawn.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Look at these cars, Sookie." I opened the door to a room that looked more like a car dealership than a garage. Eric had ten vehicles, including mine, lined up in stalls. "Is this a Model fucking T? What the Hell? It's probably original. Son of a bitch." Excitement always made Jason swear more. I laughed behind him as he ran from stall to stall. Ollie came up out of the floor like at the Jiffy Lube. He was underneath a car, draining its oil. He turned off a tiny radio in his pocket. He was listening to a sports talk program, but he was thinking about his daughter's misplaced glasses and wondering if he'd have time to pick up her new ones at the optometrist.

"Mrs. Northman, going for a ride?"

"Yeah, Jason and I are heading out to Bon Temps for the day."

"A Spyker? Who owns a fucking Spyker? What the fuck?"

"Yes, Mr. Northman has a Spyker, only true car lovers even know a Spyker when they see one." Ollie rubbed the hood with pride, as he was solely responsible for maintaining all of Eric's cars.

"I'm sorry about his language, Ollie. He loves cars."

"It's all right ma'am. I understand. Mr. Northman likes cars too. Not too many mechanics can say that they've worked on a T.."

"That's crazy, a Model T. Oh, man. Son of a Bitch has an Enzo, Sookie, look at this."

I didn't know an Enzo from a Camaro, so I nodded and smiled and waited for him to stop drooling.

"Can we get underway? I'd like to head out to Best Buy and get a camera."

"Yeah, yeah, but when we get back, Ollie, my man. We're going to have to talk."

"Wait until you see his Veyron. He just bought it to replace the Corvette."

"As in Bugatti? I'm dumbstruck. This is car Heaven, Sookie. If you hadn't married Eric, I would have."

"I kind of believe you, J."

I took Jason to his house to pick up his truck, then he helped me load a few of my things into it and to refresh the house by changing the sheets, putting out fresh soap and towels and emptying the rest of the refrigerator. I made sure to grab my passport and the few pieces of jewelry that my Gran had left me. I was glad that my family had always been partial to gold. I would have had to leave any silver behind.

I descended the stairs and was surprised that I wasn't the least bit sorry to be leaving. So many awful things had happened to me in this house recently, that I was actually relieved. I tried to think about the time when Eric stayed with me. I would hold onto that memory. But the memories of Debbie Pelt being killed in my kitchen, and Quinn trying to rape me were under the surface. It had gotten so I couldn't walk into a room without thinking about the terrible things that had happened to me.

Jason must have understood that I was taking a moment to say goodbye and close the door on a few things. He waited patiently in the foyer. I saw him lean down and look under the desk where I stacked bills and magazines. I had forgotten to pick up Gran's candy dish. He picked it up and looked at me. I saw his jaw clenching and unclenching and I wished that I had remembered to do something with it. He turned it over in his hand and saw a streak of blood. I just stood there, embarrassed, disgusted and angry all rolled up into a ball. He threw the candy dish against the wall and I jumped unexpectedly. I covered my eyes and he pulled me to his chest and said, "Go wait in the car." I nodded. There were things that you could say about my brother; he wasn't the brightest, he was easily influenced by the opinions of his peers, and he liked to party a little too much. But you could never say that he wasn't a proud, loyal man who defended his interests with deep conviction.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jason followed me back to Ravenwood and we unloaded my things into the bedroom next to Eric's and mine. I would sort through which clothes I was keeping, and which I would be giving away. I had been losing weight since Eric and I separated and my older summer clothes looked as if I was playing dress up. Jason let Ollie park his truck while we drove out to Best Buy to pick up a camera.

I didn't know what I was looking for, so I did something terrible, I let Jason talk me into the most expensive camera that was tiny enough to fit in my purse. We decided that since Eric hadn't ever seen Ravenwood during the day, we would shoot a video to show off how beautiful everything was in the sunlight. I also bought a laptop to edit the video. I was excited, but also a little shocked that I'd spent almost 4,000 dollars so easily. Jason laughed and kept saying "Charge it, come on Sookie, Charge it." It was nice to have him there, because I would have gone with something cheap that didn't do everything that I needed.

Jason and I took turns handling the camera work, while I played in the fountain and ran through the grounds, pointing out the things that Eric never got to see: the sun streaming through the pear trees outside the library, the sun twinkling off the water in the pool, the horses chasing each other across the meadow. I asked Jason to shoot video of me sitting in the grass with the wind blowing my hair. I addressed the camera as if I were talking to Eric directly. I was glad that Jason didn't think it was hokey, I could relax and say what I wanted instead of sounding like a travel agent or a tour guide on one of those scripted travel shows. We went into the greenhouse to film the roses and Eric's other assorted flowers. The light in the greenhouse was jewel toned from stained glass that Eric hung in two of the windows.

I also wanted to capture the way our bedroom looked during the day, so we headed upstairs. In all, we shot two hours worth of video. Jason showed me how to transfer the video from my camera into iMovie and how to edit clips. When he added music and showed me the end result on DVD I thought to myself that my brother was wasting his talents at the housing commission.

I asked Jason if he would mind handling dinner tonight, and while he was downstairs cooking, I took a bottle of _Royalty _and two wine glasses out of the wine cabinet. I guess we could still call it a wine cabinet as long as there were a few bottles of wine in it. I drew a hot bath and turned on the whirlpool jets. I poured a glass of the thick blood and wondered about the taste. I shouldn't be drinking it, but I was really curious. I took a tiny sip and found that it wasn't much worse than eating a rare steak. I took another sip, then dared myself to take a mouthful. I swallowed slowly, feeling the blood coat my tongue, mouth and throat. I closed my eyes and tried to think of the vampire that had donated this blood. Eric told me that a seasoned vamp could detect things about the donor. He came in as I drained the glass.

"Well…. I don't know if I should be concerned or happy."

"I was curious." I began to blush but he didn't make any more of it.

"Are you keeping that all to yourself, or are you sharing?"

"I'm sharing, but you have to get in if you want some." He climbed into the bath and I handed him a glass. He drank deeply and kissed me.

" I love that you came to see me. That was brave of you."

"I needed to be near you for just a few more minutes." I kissed him again. "I have something to show you tonight." He smiled and pushed my hair back away from my face.

"Really? I'm looking forward to it."

"And, I moved the last of my things out of the Bon Temps house. I'm all moved in. Hope you don't mind, we are officially cohabitating as man and wife.

"Yes, It's official then, we're a proper couple. All I have left is to introduce you to my family." He poured another glass of blood, and sipped at it.

"What do you mean, family?" Eric had never mentioned that he had anyone that he considered family besides Pam.

"I mean my family, the vampires that I consider my family, anyway. When I was about 7 years vampire, my maker Appius' maker was destroyed. He entrusted my care to his nest mate Mahesh-Ra. In human terms, they had been lovers and were a couple off and on over the centuries. She taught me hunting skills beyond what he could teach me, because she was much older than he. We thought that he would return within a year or two, but he never did. She adopted me as her child so that I would not be lost. Did Bill ever tell you what happens to a vampire who is separated from his or her maker before he is old enough to fend for himself? They don't usually survive the first decade. Mahesh-Ra became my mother. She cared for me, created a home for me and I was, and am loyal to her. I consider her my maker now because Appius abandoned me. Her children became my brother and sister. We lived together as a family for about 500 years. Her son Marius and her daughter Fallon went to live in Rome, I went to London.

Meshra, which is what we call her, and I played a game of chance before I left. I won a vial of her blood to be used to help me recover if I was ever near death, and as I've told you, the one condition was that it had to be mixed with the blood of someone who loves me. She is a powerful, magical being Sookie. She was immortal before she was turned and she was the wife of an Egyptian god. She and I made a side bet about which century it would be that someone would love me, and I had to promise that I would bring the young lady to meet my mother. That young lady is you, Lover."

"I would be honored to meet your mother, Eric. I can't wait to get to Paris."

"We are leaving tonight."

"No way! I haven't had a chance to pack or anything."

"Sookie, I have people who can do that for you. Relax. Just enjoy being with me."

"Will you come see what Jason and I made for you?"

"Of course," Eric stepped out of the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He handed me a towel and we went into our sitting room. I turned the TV on and put the DVD in. We sat on the couch and I laid my head down on his shoulder. Jason appeared on screen.

"Hi, Eric, it's me. Sookie had this wonderful idea to show you what Ravenwood looks like during the daytime since you've never seen it. So we put this together for you. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you two have fun in Paris. Surprise Sookie, you're leaving tonight, so I'll stop by and see you before you guys leave. I love you, Little Bit. Take care of her, Eric. She's all I got."

"Pure," by The Lightning Seeds, began and I saw Eric watching with interest. There were images of me running across the lawn laughing, the horses running in the meadow, Jason trying to hold on to Satie as he rode her across the field, the pear trees with sun streaming through the branches and me eating a pear in the sunshine, wiping juice off my chin with my sleeves. Suddenly, Eric stood and went to the screen. He dragged his finger along the image of me eating a pear and holding it out to the camera. I stood to go to his side. Two blood trails ran down his cheeks.

"Sookie, you have no idea what you've done for me. This is the most wonderful gift I have ever received." The images continued and the video ended with me waving from the edge of the pool. I dove in, and Jason set the camera on a patio table, jumping in beside me. The video ended with us splashing in the pool.

"Are you all right, Love?" I reached over and took his hand.

"I'm so much better than all right. I chose Ravenwood because the layout and the meadows reminded me of my village. My village is a bustling city now and I'll never have that back. Ravenwood is as close as I'll ever have. I've never seen it during the day of course, but no one has ever cared enough about me to do this. It never occurred to me to have someone film it for me. Thank you, Angel, thank you so very much."

We sat down on the couch while he watched the video again. When it was over, I straddled his waist and began kissing his cheeks. I kissed the bloody trails and held him. I had no idea that he would be so touched by our little afternoon project.

Eric had a sip from my neck and he shared it with me. We dressed for our trip, gathering bags that Natalia and Bobby packed for us. Jason came to our room and we said goodbye. He would be staying at Ravenwood while we were gone.

I checked my purse for my passport for the third time. I also patted my bag to make sure that my video camera and extra battery were there. I'd added a paperback for when Eric had to sleep, but most of the flight, he would be able to stay up with me since we were flying at night, and I was going to try to rest so I could see as much of Paris as I could.

Ollie brought the limousine around to the door, and I realized that I had first seen Ollie when he drove us home from the hospital. So make that eleven cars, I thought to myself. Bobby climbed in the front with Ollie, he would be going to act as our Concierge. I protested at first, because it was our honeymoon, but Eric assured me that Bobby excelled at being invisible unless he was needed. I couldn't deny that, so he ended up going to Paris with us. Eric let me slide in first and I made room for him. I grabbed a bottle of Tynant water and drank. I'd read that it was important to stay hydrated on long flights. I couldn't believe I was on my way to Paris. I had dreamt of this since I was a little girl, eating croissants at the Champs de Mars, drinking red wine in a sidewalk café, shopping on the Left Bank.

"You are excited, Lover. That makes me happy."

"Are you kidding me? My face hurts from smiling all night, this is something I've always wanted but didn't know how I would ever achieve. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. If I'd known you'd be this happy, I would have used this as a lure to get you to be with me, instead of relying on my charm and good looks."

"I can't say I wouldn't have taken you up on it."

We drove to the airport and Ollie pulled in to a hangar separate from the main buildings. Eric told me earlier that he would no longer fly on Anubis because of their lax security. I was glad to hear this, and we entrusted our travel to a private company that was new to Vampire transport. Meshra trusted them, he'd told me and therefore, he was willing to risk it. Eric's coffin was loaded first. I told him that I hated to use that term, but it truly was a coffin, so no nice euphemisms existed. I was glad that he'd planned the trip so that we would be leaving at night and he could stay with me. He would sleep as the sun rose over the Atlantic then it would be approaching late afternoon, early evening as we arrived in Paris. I would also sleep during the day so that I could stay up all night with him and his family.

We took off, and I clutched Eric's leg the whole time. I hated to fly, but I wouldn't let that stop me from traveling. The flight attendant, an older woman named Margie, offered us a light snack of baked brie en croûte and champagne. I touched Margie's sleeve and reminded her that Eric doesn't eat. I heard her beating herself up that this was the one detail that she was told to remember, the gentleman needed blood, not food.

"Margie, is this your first time being around a vampire?" I was trying to be reassuring, but I knew Eric would have much better luck than I. I looked at him, and he understood what I meant.

"Is it that obvious? I'm sorry I'm such a nervous wreck. It's just that you hear so much on TV." Eric made eye contact with her and laid his hand on her arm. She jumped three inches, but he held her gaze.

"Margie, darling. You have nothing to fear from me. This will be one of the most enjoyable flights you've ever had. You will relax and anticipate all of our needs just like any passengers you've handled. You will remember us as exceptionally polite, and you will tell all your co-workers that the Northmans were wonderful to you. Now, since my wife and I are newlyweds, we would enjoy a bit of privacy. So, you won't come back to check on us unless we call you. Okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Northman. Thank you. Enjoy your evening." She went to the front of the plane and sat in the pilot's jump seat, remembering to close the door behind her.

"You are the master of the glamour, Sir. I was relaxing for her and it doesn't even work on me."

"You get good at it. Humans are simple creatures, they want four things: shelter, food, warmth and love. Meet those needs to any degree and they'll do whatever you like."

"I wish we were a little more complicated so that it wouldn't feel so, I don't know. It just feels like you know what we're going to do before we do sometimes."

"I've just seen humanity stay exactly the same for so long, think about it Sookie. How are your needs any different than a woman a thousand years ago?"

"Well, I guess need wise, they aren't any different. But I would never want to live without things like tampons, shampoo and deodorant. It must have been awful for the women of your tribe."

"It wasn't, surprisingly. Everyone smelled bad, that's how you identified each other."

I laughed and he pushed my hair behind my ear.

"I'm serious. Here comes Lagon, breath of fire, or his wife Petta that smelled of bear. I wish you could have been there with me. I wish you would be with me always."

I didn't respond, and he dropped the subject. He wasn't trying to pressure me into letting him turn me. He was stating a fact. After a moment, he looked down at our hands, then up at me.

"There are things that you need to know about my family. I don't want you to worry, they'll accept you because you are mine, but my brother, Marius, he's a bit of a rogue." I raised my eyebrows at that because I thought this was the pot calling the kettle black.

"He will attempt to taste you against your will, so do not be afraid to be assertive, you will not be hurting my feelings….or his. And then there's my sister Fallon. She is a handful of emotional trouble. She's high strung, kind of frail and in addition to that, she has an eating disorder, sort of."

"A what?" Who'd ever heard of a vampire with an eating disorder? Didn't they just drink blood? Granted, that in and of itself was a bit of a disorder, but I wondered, did she vomit afterwards? Did she gorge herself on blood? I must have looked puzzled because he smiled.

"She thinks that she can only drink type A blood. One of her special skills is that she can detect a person's blood type by scent and she regularly complains that if she doesn't get type A blood, she gets sick. For centuries she's been eating cows, cats, dogs, ducks. One year, it was sheep. Next it was goats. She is trying to be shocking and outrageous. We try not to indulge her because it is a ploy for attention, but she is a bit of a baby about it."

"How old are Marius and Fallon both in vampire and human years?"

"Marius is about 225 years older than me but he was 25 when he was turned and Fallon is about 200 years older than me. She was 16 when she was turned, and she was a brat. As old as she is, she still behaves as a young child in many ways. Marius and I have often wondered if she's altogether right in the head."

I smiled thinking of Eric and his siblings. The Eric I knew was a solitary being, knowing that he had siblings and a mom made him seem so much more normal to me.

"My brother and I don't always get along. Marius is very competitive with me so don't be surprised if he and I end up having a shouting match. I love my brother, but he is a gigantic asshole most of the time like he has a chip on his shoulder. Fallon is a sweet, sweet girl, but she'll throw a tantrum if Meshra is paying too much attention to you."

"How are you guys any different than any other family?"

"I'm just giving you a heads up."

"What does Marius look like, or Fallon? Do you have any pictures?"

He smiled, "As a matter of fact, I do. I've been thinking a lot about them lately…." He took a wallet out of his breast pocket. I had never seen Eric with a wallet and I don't know why I was surprised. It was black leather, and it looked new as if he wasn't used to carrying money around. He opened it, and took out a photo of himself posed between a tall blonde vampire who was nearly his exact double, and a young looking red haired female vampire. I had expected that someone named Marius would have black hair, but I'd been wrong. Marius was the same height as Eric and had piercing green eyes. His nose was long and slender and his lips were thin. He had Eric's mischievous grin. His hair was longer and it was more of a honey color, but it was hard to tell that they were not related by blood, at least not in the traditional sense. In a word, he could stop traffic; much like Eric. I looked at Fallon; there was something lost about her expression. She had the silky orange-red hair that you'd expect on a box of hair color and she had silver gray eyes. There was a smattering of freckles across her nose and if she wasn't capable of tearing a person to pieces, she would be considered adorable by any measure.

Eric handed me a photo of a dark haired woman whose age I could not determine by appearance and I surmised that this must be Mahesh-Ra, Eric's mother. She was dressed in a white double-breasted suit that was tailored for a woman's shape. The material hung like silk, and she wasn't wearing a blouse underneath. Instead, she wore strands of pink pearls that hung down between her breasts. She had a white flower in her hair and bright red lipstick. She was glamorous with a capital G.

"Your family is a walking Gap ad."

"Yeah, we're kind of a good looking bunch."

After a couple of hours of chatting his head off, he told me to look out the window. I saw pink on the edge of the horizon where the ocean meets the sky. Eric would have to turn in, and I would get some rest too. I had never actually seen him go to sleep for the night, so I offered to stay with him. He had an odd little smile as he lifted the lid to his coffin and stepped inside.

"If this gets weird for you, I'll understand."

"Is it weird for you that I can hear people's thoughts?"

"Not weird. I wish I could hear the thoughts of others."

"No, you don't. I always know what people really think of me. People are incredibly dishonest most of the time."

"I offered to kill anyone who treated you badly."

I thought about Quinn's friend getting his head ripped off and thought from now on, I'd let Eric think everyone in the world loved Sookie Northman.

Eric closed his eyes and I briefly wondered if he crossed his arms like you saw in the movies. I smoothed his hair away from his face, leaned down and kissed him, softly first, then more passionately. He responded for a moment, and then I felt him exhale as if he'd been breathing and he was still. I whispered that I loved him, kissed him again and snapped the lid closed.

Not as dramatic or strange as I'd imagined. One minute he was alert, the next, sound asleep. I grabbed my carry-on case and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I banged both knees trying to pull the door closed. I decided Margie would have to see me in my altogether if she came back at this moment; these bathrooms were not made to change clothes in. Bobby realized that I was trying to get changed and politely buried his nose in his computer. I pulled a new pair of pajama pants on, then dripped spit and toothpaste down my pajama shirt. I dabbed at it with a paper towel, but quickly gave up.

I took the leather seat across from Eric's coffin so that I could sleep beside him. Margie had shown me how to recline my chair into a bed so that I could sleep comfortably. Eric warned me about the thin blankets provided by airlines, so I doubled up and used two. I reached across the narrow aisle and laid my palm on Eric's coffin.

"Goodnight, my love. See you in France."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Margie tapped my shoulder and I sat up a little disoriented and unsure where I was. I had a deep impression on my cheek from being pressed against the seat for hours. I had drooled a little and my hair was stuck up in an interesting fashion. I stretched and looked out the window. She said that we were starting our approach and would be landing in forty minutes. The local time was nearing six p.m. Eric would be arising within the next two hours depending on the sunset in Paris. I slipped into the tiny bathroom. Again, I have to take issue with calling the space a bathroom. I pulled the door closed and washed up. It felt good to have warm water on my face and arms. I smiled in the yellowish light thinking of the story Eric had told me about French and English prostitutes washing up between clients.

So, here we were flying over France, I thought. I got my makeup case together and did my makeup in my seat. It was truly a luxury to have a private jet where I could stretch out, walk around in my pajamas or just sit quietly without hearing everyone else's fears. Margie offered me a bottle of Evian and a fruit platter. I held up a piece of fruit shaped like a star and looked at her. Bobby smiled.

"Carambola, also known as star-fruit. It's pretty mild and sour tasting, kind of like a green grape mixed with an apple.

I tried it and devoured the fruit platter. I was starving and excited and the fruit was ripe and delicious. We landed and I waited beside the airplane while they unloaded Eric, hoping that no one would try to speak to me considering I didn't speak that much French. The airline staff escorted us through the hangar and out to a waiting hearse. I was so glad that we didn't have to navigate Charles De Gaulle airport beyond the first level. It was an unbelievable maze of lines, security and people from around the world. Bobby had arranged transportation to Meshra's apartment on Place de l'Abbé Basset. We had about a forty-minute drive from the airport to Meshra's and the sun was going down as we drove. I called Jason to let him know that we'd arrived safely. He didn't answer, so I left him a message. I wondered what would happen if Eric woke before we arrived at Meshra's. He would probably wait patiently for us to get to her apartment and climb out as we were unloading. Bobby pointed out some shops where I could get groceries and ways to entertain myself during the days when Eric and Mahesh-Ra were sleeping.

We pulled up to the apartment and Bobby got out of the car. He walked around to the door, and opened it for me. We both assisted the airport staff with pulling Eric's coffin out of the car. The latch opened slowly and Eric emerged from his coffin, climbed out, pulled me to him and kissed me.

"You are going to love this, Angel." He took my hand and we climbed the stairs looking for apartment number 4. The hallway was narrow but very bright. The walls were papered in what looked to be an ancient floral pattern of light blue whorls and loops. There were tiny statues of babies holding the light fixtures on the walls. There was an elevator, but Eric said it creaked mercilessly and was as slow as payday. We stopped outside apartment four. Eric rang the bell and we waited for someone to answer it. I looked around the hallway nervously. I was still pinching myself that this was my life.

The door opened slowly and a young woman with glasses peered out of the door.

"Allo? Qui-est la?"

"S'il vous-plait, tell Mahesh-Ra that Eric is here." We waited while the door closed then opened wide. The girl with the glasses had stepped away from the door and a Vampire of about 42 human years ran up to us.

"Eric, Eric, Eric. My darling son, Come in, come in. Oh, who is this?"

"Meshra, this is my wife, Sookie. Sookie, this is my mother Mahesh-Ra,." She pulled me to her and hugged me tightly, then she kissed me on each cheek and hugged me again. This was not like the vampire behavior I had experienced in America. The vampires I knew didn't shake hands, touch, kiss or hug. I smiled at her as she fawned over both of us.

"Please come in, I had no idea that you were coming to town. Eric, why didn't you call me?" We stepped into an apartment that rivaled Ravenwood in its amenities. There were floor to ceiling windows, flowing draperies, a huge fireplace and books piled everywhere. There were books stacked under tables and in chairs and in doorways. I also noted that the narrow kitchenette had been converted into a makeshift library. I understood where Eric had developed his love of fresh flowers. There were daffodils in flower boxes outside and in pots in the low windowsills. The apartment smelled like sunshine and rain.

"I wanted to surprise you, mother. You are so very hard to surprise."

"I can't believe that you are here. How long has it been now 20, 25 years?"

"Yes, about that. Sookie, please have a seat here. He moved a pile of books atop of another pile of books and sat down next to me. He held my hand protectively.

"So, you have married. And she smells of Fae, am I correct? I also sense my own blood coursing through her veins as well as yours. You have had trouble n'est-ce pas?

"Oui, maman. Someone tried to drain me, but Sookie saved me."

" I see that you have given her my ring. I hope you love it as much as I did, Sookie. So, you love my son? Surely you must if he is still here. Did he tell you about the probable side effects of having my blood? Of course he did. May I offer you something to drink? Lisette? Lisette? A drink for Sookie, please. Eric, I have a lovely Spanish girl with the most wonderful blood line I have tasted in a long time."

I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I was stuck on what she'd said about probable side effects. I squeezed Eric's hand to get his attention but she was so excited to see Eric that she spoke for the three of us.

"I will pass, Meshra."

I knew that Eric was hungry and would need to drink soon, and he'd only been drinking from me for the last two weeks. I didn't want to be naïve and think that Eric could survive by taking sips of me every few days, he would need to drink and drink deeply to keep his strength up. He and I would discuss this and the side effects issue later.

Lisette handed me a cup of tea. I nodded in appreciation and saw Bobby overseeing the crew moving Eric's coffin into a large bedroom.

Mahesh-Ra leaned forward and took Eric's hand. "So, tell me how this came about?"

"That is a long story mother, and I'm here to discuss business first."

"Is this about the one million dollars that you owe me?"

"Yes, of course. We had a bet, I'm not going to back out of a deal that I have with you. I owe you my life and I wouldn't be with my darling wife if not for you."

I sat silently, letting them catch up. Mahesh-Ra refused Eric's check and told him that she only made the bet so that he would keep an open mind about marrying. She told him that she'd found it such a rewarding experience that she didn't want him to miss out on it. I smiled so much that my teeth were drying out, and my tea was nearly gone.

"So, Sookie. I suppose that Eric has told you all about his brother Marius and his sister, Fallon?

"He has, and I'm looking forward to meeting them both."

"You won't have long to wait, they are both living nearby and we'd agreed to attend a dinner at Lord Malbec's house. Won't you please join us?"

"You have got to be kidding me, Meshra, why are you guys still hanging out with that guy? He's a boorish old codger."

"He's good to us, he does certain favors for me and I—reciprocate. So, Eric, your child, Pam, is she here in Paris?"

"No, she is looking after my business ventures back home. Sookie, can we get anything else for you? You must be horribly bored listening to us catch up."

"No, baby, I'm fine. You guys catch up. Do you have a restroom?" Eric stood "Meshra, we're going to go clean up before dinner." He took my elbow and walked me to a door down the hall.

"It's kind of tricky, the door sticks because we've never used it. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but you need to drink, baby."

"I can have _Royalty_." He looked a little unenthusiastic about it, so I offered him my wrist. "Are you sure you don't want a sip, I don't mind."

"I'm sure, darling."

I used the bathroom, and washed my hands. Eric washed his face and ran a little water through his hair.

We went down the hall and into a bedroom off the unused dining room. The bed rested on a similar platform to the one we owned at home. There was a chaise against the window that would be perfect for enjoying the sunrise. There was an Oriental rug on the floor and thick blackout draperies made of dupioni silk. We sat on the edge of the bed and I opened my collar and pulled him close to me. I knew that he was trying to be mindful of my physical health. I asked him if I should be taking iron supplements and he said that was up to me, but it was just as easy to stay hydrated and eat lots of protein. He nuzzled my neck, grazing my skin with his fangs. He was licking the skin beneath my ear and I knew that he desperately wanted to bite me so I whispered that he should. He bit down and moaned with pleasure. I closed my eyes and held onto him. He drank more deeply than he had in over a week. I let myself relax into his arms, and he laid me down on the bed, hovering over me. If we weren't careful, we'd be making love and I didn't want to be rude. I looked up into his eyes and smiled. I was so relaxed after he drank from me that I could have fallen asleep.

Eric and I showered and dressed for dinner at Lord Malbec's. I left my hair down around my shoulders so that the bite marks wouldn't be quite so obvious. As a result of all the blood I'd ingested, my wounds healed faster, but they would still be present until tomorrow. Eric dressed in a black suit with a dark purple shirt. The material was so soft that I could have run my hands across his chest all night long. He splashed on a little L'eau D'Issey and sat in front of the vanity table. He fastened a tooth around his neck and I lifted it up to the light.

" That's really cool. Is it from a lion?" It had been dipped in gold and preserved. I turned the fang around in the light and he smiled.

"No, love. That is the right fang of a vampire who betrayed me. I wear it to remind myself that I can be merciful when it is warranted. Her name was Corey and she tried to expose my resting place when I lived in London. I took her fang. I could have killed her then and there but I chose to be merciful. She died later that year, but it had nothing to do with her lost tooth."

I took my brush out and pulled it through his hair. I brushed methodically, then, parted his hair in the middle. I kissed the top of his head and wrapped my arms around his neck

"You smell so damned good. How did I ever get so lucky?"

"That, my love is what I ask myself every night." He took my hand and kissed it. We looked at each other in the mirror and he asked me, "You are happy, Lover."

"Oh yes. Happier than I've ever been." I slipped away from him and changed into a white sundress and heels. I took my turn sitting at the vanity and put on the diamond earrings that Eric bought for me at the League of Beneficent Blood Drinkers Gala. I looked up at him and he smiled at me.

"You ready?"

"Yeah, this will be amazing."

"I'm glad you think so." He helped me up and we met Meshra at the front door. She was dressed in a celery green dress with gold beading around the collar. The pale green accentuated her golden skin tone. She wore thick gold bracelets and had her brown hair twisted into ringlets that were piled high on her head with a gold comb of entwined snakes. She looked like a golden Audrey Hepburn. Eric leaned down and kissed his mother's cheek.

"Meshra, I must say, you look fabulous dear."

"Thank you, your brother called, he and Fallon are going to meet us at Malbec's. Do you remember how to get there?"

"Sookie and I will meet you there, I'm going to fly. I want her to see Paris at night."

"Is this your first time in Paris, Oh, you simply must see the dancers at the Dauphin Theatre. They are not to be missed."

"I promise I will get out to see them while we are here. And thank you for hosting us, Mrs….?"

"Really, just call me Meshra. Dr. Ra is awkward."

"If we start to get on your nerves, or if you just want us to move on, let us know, we can get a room."

"Nonsense, you brought my son home when I thought for sure I'd have to leave my beloved Paris for that fetid swamp he calls Louisiana. You're not from that wretched state are you?"

"Uh, yes ma'am, I am. Louisiana has its own charms."

"Sookie and I should be going Meshra."

"I'll meet you at Malbec's, then."

I wondered where Bobby was and figured he must be holed up in a hotel nearby. I would ask him to go with me around Paris tomorrow while everyone was sleeping.

"Lover, I have so many things to show you, but for now, let's get to dinner. Meshra has told Malbec that you are coming, so there will be human food. Knowing Malbec, he is too cheap to have a human helper, so I cannot guarantee that it will be appetizing."

"I've got some crackers in my purse from the airplane, I should be all right."

We went down the stairs and out to the street. There was a church at the corner, and cafés lined the narrow streets. The first thing I would do in the morning would be to go downstairs, and have coffee and croissants at a real French bistro.

Eric scooped me up into his arms and we shot up into the sky. I laughed as he climbed over the city. I still hadn't gotten used to flying with him. As soon as we were airborne, I pointed to the Eiffel Tower. He nodded and promised that we would have dinner at the tower tomorrow night. We headed north over twinkling lights and trees and water that was reflected orange in the darkness. We landed on the sidewalk at what Eric told me was Place de Thorigny. Most of the buildings in this part of Paris looked the same and I imagined that it would be easy to get lost. I would need a really good map and maybe an interpreter.

We stood outside of a sandstone building, and knocked on a heavy black door. The door was pulled open vampire quickly and a fiery blur was upon Eric. I almost fell over, but he caught me. He laughed and helped me stand upright as Fallon pulled herself off of him.

"Eric! Meshra called and I didn't believe that you were really back. It's so good to see you."

"You too, Fallon. How are things? Are you still running that clothing store?"

"I am, I'm part owner now. I am also a buyer. When I get approval from my doctor, I'm going to come to America."

"Doctor?" Eric raised his eyebrow incredulously. He sneaked a look at me, but I don't think she noticed. "Whatever is wrong?"

"Well, you know that I have an eating disorder. Well, my doctor thinks that I have some sort of allergy to antibodies produced by humans and now we are looking into the possibility that maybe I can only eat from humans that are type A, but of Moroccan descent." Eric smiled and she hit his chest. "What's funny about that? I have a serious medical condition." She looked at me for the first time. It wasn't that unusual to be ignored completely in the company of vampires, so I wasn't expecting much attention.

"And is this the lucky Mrs. Northman? This makes us like sisters or something."

I had always wanted a sister, but somehow, I didn't think this pale she-devil was what I had in mind when I was praying for one. "I'm Sookie, it really is good to meet you." I stuck my hand out and was not totally off guard this time when she pulled me close and hugged me.

"I'm Fallon D'Orrico Northman, it's great to meet you." For such an affectionate family, Eric had really taken his time getting up close and friendly with me. I wondered how he fared with all of this physical contact when I knew for a fact that he didn't really like to be touched….except by me, of course. She led us into the house and I was struck by the smell of tomato sauce that was about to scorch.

I turned to Eric and said "Someone had better turn the pot down or off, or you're going to have a mess on your hands." Fallon ran into the kitchen and grabbed a spoon. Apparently, cooking for me had been a project that she was in charge of and she had forgotten to stir her sauce.

We entered the salon, which was basically a fancy French word for livingroom. I instantly recognized Marius leaning back against a leather chair in front of the fireplace. He was dressed similarly to Eric, in a black suit with a red silk shirt. His honey blonde bangs swept down low over his jewel-green eyes. His hair was shaggy and brushed his shoulders. He could be called pretty, but you wouldn't dare say it to his face. His photo didn't do him justice, There were two women lounging on the sofa behind him. They all wore the expression of a casual boredom that has seen too much or lived too hard. There were several other vampires huddled in conversation, and my presence seemed to cause them great agitation. In the somewhat hushed silence, I wondered if Eric and I had made the right decision to debut our mixed marriage so publicly.

When Marius saw me, he stood quickly and was next to me before I could focus on him. He swept me into his arms, and gave me a quick hug. With his gesture of acceptance, the mood in the room shifted, and the vampires concerned themselves with whatever had been engaging them before we walked in.

"Well, aren't you a delicacy? I'm Marius Antonio D'Orrico. But you may call me brother if you'd like." He took my hand dramatically and kissed it. I smiled because he was Eric's level of smooth plus ten. Before I realized it, he flipped my wrist over and held it to his mouth. "Eric, may I sample your bride?"

I pulled my wrist from his hand and snapped, "The decision is not Eric's, and the answer is no." I crossed my arms under my breasts, which he took mental inventory of with a nod of appreciation. I uncrossed my arms quickly and let them hang at my sides. Son of a bitch.

Eric pulled Marius in for a brief hug and shook his hand. "Marius, are you here alone tonight? Surely you have a playmate or two hanging onto your every word."

"Of course, brother, but none of fairy extraction. You smell enchanting. I could devour you in two bites." He leered at me suggestively.

"Your brother's wife? Really? That's kind of gross."

"We've shared before." He winked at me, and I couldn't help smirking.

"Not by choice." Eric's voice took on a hard edge and I could hear the history behind that statement.

This really wasn't a conversation that I wanted to be dragged into. Although I did have a quick mental image of my Viking and his brother, the Roman Legionnaire, laying waste to a few female hearts. Eric put a stop to the direction the conversation was taking by introducing me to the balding, gray haired vampire at the liquor cabinet. Eric introduced him as Lord Winthrop Malbec of Somerset, England. When he took my hand, I did a little curtsy, I didn't even know why. But he found it charming and said that no one had respected his position in a very long time. He kindly poured me a glass of Moët et Chandon champagne, filled glasses with blood for the vampires, and began telling me of his transition to vampire.

Lord Winthrop Percival Chalmers Malbec III had been a cousin to Mary Queen of Scots. Many of his servants had taken ill and stopped reporting for work. One evening, Malbec decided to go to the home of his manservant Rudolph. Everyone in the household was ill and shortly afterwards, he came down with fever and chills too. One of the cooks knew of a healing woman who might have been some form of witch from Wales. "I don't know why I allowed her to come to me, I must have been feverish beyond measure. She drained me dry and I awoke in the soil."

Someone sidled up alongside of us and placed his hand on the small of my back. I thought it was Eric for a fraction of a second and jumped when I realized that it was Marius. I smiled to be polite, but I had been around his type at Merlotte's and I knew that he would keep pushing until I had to be rude.

Meshra tapped the side of her glass with a gold letter opener. Eric took a bottle of a French branded blood that I didn't recognize, and refilled his glass.

"Everyone, please help me welcome Sookie to our family." They clapped lightly because on the whole, these vampires seemed to be surprised that Eric had married a human. I almost wanted to justify our marriage by stating that I was part-fairy, but I realized, it shouldn't matter and I bit my tongue. Eric nodded to his mother respectfully and kissed the top of my head. Lord Malbec took my hand and kissed it. Marius leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Yes, welcome, dear sister. I'm looking forward to tasting you very soon." The vamps snickered and laughed in their respective corners.

"Marius, that's not ever going to happen, so you can let that go. I'm Eric's." Eric smiled broadly at this and patted his brother on the shoulder.

" Good to see that you haven't changed a bit, Marius. I need to introduce you to someone, darling. If you can tear yourself away from my brother's charms."

I put my arm around Eric's waist and looked up at him lovingly. Marius was charming, he could charm a snake out of its skin, but he was way out of line and I think he could tell that I was becoming annoyed.

"I mean no harm, I am merely appreciating your wife's beauty. And is it my fault that she has the intoxicating scent of fairy? You know how I feel about them."

His accent was longer and more drawn out than Eric's. It was clear when he spoke that he didn't speak English very often.

"Thank you for the compliment, Marius, but it's really not necessary." I couldn't really blame him that fairy blood was so intoxicating to vampires. But I would have to stay on guard with him, given the fact that ownership boundaries had been crossed in the past.

"So, Eric, how is Louisiana? Meshra says that you run a vampire bar. Have you fallen on hard times? He raised his glass to his lips and drained it quickly.

"Maybe you'd like to come work for me?"

"Work is for humans. He tossed his hair back over his shoulder in a move that was so pompous that I actually giggled. Eric poured more blood into Marius's glass.

"Our mother works."

"Our mother has a soft spot for these creatures. She values time spent around them. I personally don't understand the attraction." I turned to find Lord Malbec so he could refill my glass. I was going to need much more alcohol to tolerate Marius and his snobbish attitude.

Fallon waved at me from the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and had a wooden spoon in her hand. I set my glass down and walked to the door.

"Hi, would you mind tasting this, I don't know what this stuff is supposed to taste like and I've done everything according to this book. What am I supposed to be adding? Is this finished?"

I was afraid to taste it, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings. She was really putting in an effort to be kind to me. No vampire had ever offered to cook for me. I leaned forward and tasted the sauce. It wasn't bad at all, in fact, it could be really good with a pinch of salt and a dash of oregano. I looked around at the ingredients that she'd assembled and found both. I tossed in a healthy portion of herbs and grabbed a clean spoon. I gave the sauce a quick stir and nodded. "It's really good, Fallon. You'd make a decent chef for humans."

"I have such a hateful relationship with eating, I don't know how I ever could."

She looked down at her feet and wiped her hands on her apron. You could tell by talking to her that she had had a tough time growing up with Marius and Eric for brothers. The two of them were alpha males, constantly challenging each other and she was caught in the middle. Eric had told me that before vampires had come out of the coffin, they had to pretend that Fallon was the baby sister even though she was significantly older than Eric. While they tended to keep to themselves, interactions with humans caused them to have to pretend. I wondered if Meshra knew that Fallon was suffering as much as she was. I decided that I would pay extra attention to Fallon while we were here. I hated to see any creature suffer.

"Fallon, this really is nice of you, thank you for taking the time to cook something for me, I realize that you didn't have to, and well, thank you. I held her hand and she smiled at me. I had seen that expression before.

"You're welcome. So, how was the wedding?"

"It was sweet. There was a little trouble afterwards, but the ceremony itself was nice."

"My mom and I never thought Eric would marry, let alone a human. I mean, I know that you're part fairy, but it's surprising, still."

"Well, I never thought that your brother and I would be together either. We've been through a lot."

"Would you mind helping me get the table ready for our guests?"

"Not at all." I followed her into the dining room and wondered what she meant. She didn't have any dishes in her hands. I realized that she meant the vampire guests, as opposed to the human ones. She spread two sheets across the table and I set two pillows on top of them. The bored human women I saw were probably the main course. I would excuse myself to the kitchen so I didn't have to witness them drinking from the women.

Fallon declared that it was dinnertime and Eric walked over to me. Fallon went back into the kitchen to gather napkins for the vampires.

"If you would like, you and I could walk the grounds until they finish."

"No, honey, you eat. I'm going to sit in the kitchen with the other humans and eat the delicious spaghetti that your sister made for us."

"Are you serious? My sister with the eating disorder cooked for you?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. She does need attention, Eric, and I think she would really be a happier, more secure woman if you guys would stop fighting each other and pay attention to her."

"All of that from twenty minutes with her? She's convinced you too, then?"

"No, something is wrong with her, Eric. Can't you guys see that?" I could feel myself winding up preparing for a fight with him, although I didn't quite know why. "Have either of you ever asked her why she's like this?"

"Of course, Sookie. I appreciate that you've taken an interest in my sister, but she's like this, okay? Her behavior has just gotten stranger and stranger. We had to move so many times because of her. Marius and I just stopped listening after a while."

"Well, I'm just saying that that girl is troubled and I can't quite put my finger on why."

"I don't want to fight with you. I'll try to spend some time with her and I'll even tell her I love her if you want." He laughed and tried to get me to look at him. I turned my back to him and he tried to get in my face. "Come on, Lover. Don't let Fallon's weirdness get between us. Tonight is about us having fun, and us being together and you meeting my family." I pouted and crossed my arms teasingly. He hugged me from behind. I laughed and turned to face him. I had never seen him so relaxed and playful. It was as if The Sheriff of Area Five was a coat that Eric slipped on and off.

"Just promise me that you'll take her seriously, at least while we're here."

"If you promise me that we'll get a room tomorrow night so that we can make love without my mother knowing about it."

"I will take care of that first thing in the morning." I knew Meshra would expect that we would stay at her home for one or two nights, but we were newlyweds and I didn't think she was so old that she'd forgotten what that was like. I heard one of the human women moaning and saw that the vampires had begun to drink from the two girls laid on the table. Some were at their arms, some their legs. I wondered how much these girls were being paid to be the main course for 15 hungry vampires. I imagined that they would collect their checks, and go recover at a spa or hotel nearby. I'd read an article in "_Bleeder's Digest_" that talked about the underground economy of young women selling themselves to rich vampires, but I had never thought that I would witness it first hand.

Eric's interest was piqued. His fangs slid out and he was having trouble concentrating. I turned his face to mine and nodded.

"I promise, I will only take what I need, and I won't let myself become aroused." He stared at me intently and I knew it was taking all of his energy.

"Honey, I know that that is impossible. This is what you are. I'll be in the kitchen, enjoy your dinner." I crossed the room and went back into the other room. I closed the door behind me and I realized that I was alone. I had a pang of feeling left out, much like high school when Tara and Libby Westwood had discovered making out with boys. I'd found myself walking home from the Odeon more than once. I thought about the old movie theater back in Bon Temps, Louisiana that seemed like a million miles away. On those walks home, I'd wondered what married life would be like. I'd thought about which of the boys I knew that I'd end up married to, and having babies by. I remember thinking that I would long for more, but I was expected to follow suit as my Gran and mother had. I remembered telling Aunt Linda that I wanted to be a famous model in New York, London, Paris or Rome. I remembered hearing her think that I wasn't nearly tall enough, nor pretty enough and that Jason had possibly gotten all the looks and I'd gotten the brains. Eric thinks I'm beautiful, I thought. And so did a lot of other people.

And here I was in Paris, married to one of the most beautiful men I'd ever laid eyes on, and he loved me. I wasn't prone to insecurity, but something about Fallon had dredged all of this up for me. I wiped my eyes quickly, surprised that I'd welled up. Eric was wrong, it was not good to know what people thought about you, because those thoughts were the true ones and they stung for a long, long time. So, no, I didn't want to be turned. To have an eternity of remembering things that people said about you was not how I wanted to spend my life. Although, I did suppose that given enough time, one would have to forget at some point. I heard the door open, but I didn't turn. I sat at the kitchen table and pretended to be very interested in the cold plate of spaghetti I'd gotten for myself.

I smelled Marius's cologne as he kissed the top of my head, just as Eric had done earlier in the evening.

"Dear Sookie, in here alone. Why would Eric leave you in here by yourself."

"I told him that he should eat. Eric and I have an understanding. What are you doing here?"

"I'm full, cara mia. I came to chat with you. Perhaps we have, as they say "gotten off on the wrong foot?" Eric and I are very close and we play for sport. Sometimes, I push him too far, and I may have pushed him tonight. I apologize, sincerely from mio cuore." He placed his hand over his heart to emphasize his sincerity, but I had to laugh inside because the heart that lay there had been lifeless for over an eon.

"Thank you, Marius. I appreciate that." I still didn't trust him as far as I could throw him and something in his eyes said that he would still take advantage of me if I let my guard down.

"So, tell me about yourself, what is it that you do?"

"I am a waitress at a restaurant in Louisiana." I expected him to roar with laughter after the comment that he'd made about Eric running a vampire bar, but he didn't, he sat listening to me carefully. I told him about how Eric and I met, and when he asked about the wedding, I filled him in on the details, but left out the part about Quinn.

I asked him how it was that Fallon had both his and Eric's last names. I had been curious about it since she'd introduced herself.

"Fallon is a very sweet girl. She announced one evening that Eric was our brother forever and that we should be united by name as well as blood. At that time, Eric only had the blood of Appius, so technically the adoption was in spirit only. Eric fed from Fallon, then I from him, she from me. Then I fed from Fallon, she fed from Eric and he fed from me. After that, we were bonded by blood and Fallon began to call herself D'Orrico-Northman." He smiled, fondly remembering their childhood.

Marius asked how Pam was, which I found surprising. And when I asked why he wanted to know, he told me that he had a thing with Pam right after Eric turned her. He admitted that he still loved her, and would consider coming to Louisiana if Eric didn't hold such a grudge. I started to ask him what he meant because I couldn't imagine Eric standing in the way of them being together when I heard the door opening.

"Is Marius regaling you with stories of our sordid past?" Eric sat down next to me and winked. I smiled.

"Yes, my darling, he is. He said that he was in love with Pam."

"He did, did he?" Eric's expression changed so quickly that I understood that they had meant Pam earlier when Eric had said they'd shared someone, but not by choice. I wondered if Eric had ever been in love with Pam. I knew that she had never been in love with him, she'd told me so, but I didn't know what his feelings for her had been.

"I don't recall you being so in love with her when you left her in Sweden. She was devastated. You know what I went through rescuing her and bailing your ass out." Eric's temper was flaring, and I considered letting them have this discussion without me, but I was stuck between the two of them.

"That was not my choice, you know that I was being pursued."

"So you sold her out when you're the one that was sloppy. You should have planned better. You got caught, and you left her to take the blame. You made it dangerous for all of us. If you think that's being in love then you've got a really fucked up view of it." I knew that Eric swore sparingly and that he must be really angry. Marius stood suddenly and started cursing in Italian, he got in Eric's face and I stood between them.

"Oh, you were only too happy to rush in and take her from me."

"I had to protect her from you."

"Please, you two, don't do this. Let's just have a nice evening. I tried to calm Eric by calming myself and hoping that he could still feel my feelings. Fallon walked in and held the door open.

"Meshra has asked the humans to leave, so if you wanted to tip them, you should go now." She looked as if she was going to be sick. I didn't know if it was because Marius and Eric were fighting, or her eating disorder. I crossed the room and took her hand.

"You okay, Fallon?"

"I'm going to be sick, that's all. I shouldn't have eaten, I should have had something else before I came here tonight." Marius rolled his eyes and I put my arm around her.

"Damned blood whores." He took his wallet out of his breast pocket and handed Fallon several Euros. "Is it in poor taste to say that they're bleeding us dry?" I decided to try to smooth things over between them. I went to his side.

"Marius, I appreciate that you took the time to come apologize to me, that was very sweet of you. I'm looking forward to spending time with you over the next week. Will you show me around Meshra's neighborhood?"

Marius calmed down significantly and I batted my eyelashes at him. He slowly smiled and I tossed in a pretty please, with a bounce that made my breasts heave. He put his hands on my shoulders and smiled.

"Certamente, certamente. We will walk the streets, and I will show you all of Paris, if Eric will let me borrow you for an evening."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, right honey? He knows I can take care of myself." I looked at Eric and hoped that he understood that I was trying to pacify them both before this escalated to something embarrassing.

"If he can behave himself and not get you into any trouble with the law, then sure." Eric fumed, and I hoped that the night was not lost.

"Mother will wonder why we're holed up in here. I still want to introduce you to Alistaire, a friend of mine from my London days."

I kissed Marius on each cheek and let Eric guide me out to the salon. "Sweetheart, I did that to help smooth things over. Can we just get through this dinner party?" He nodded and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I think you out-manipulated a master manipulator."

"I'm learning, I'm learning. I just didn't want things to get ugly. We're going to have to talk later, but I didn't want you two coming to blows over ancient history."

We walked up to a youngish black male vamp who was wearing a stylish leather coat. Eric introduced us, but I recognized him immediately. I had seen Guillame in several movies as he was one of the first vampire actors to star in several Hollywood movies. He did action films primarily, but last fall he had starred in a vampire love story. Rumor had it that he had fallen hard for his human co-star, but she wouldn't date a vamp.

He was apparently expected at another engagement, and Eric made him promise that we would all get together again before we left Paris. Guillame Montrachet had been a close friend of Eric's when Eric first went to London from Paris.

I yawned and Eric saw that as an excuse for us to get out the door. Meshra looked as if she could go all night, and I hoped that she would. If Eric and I got back before she did, we had the chance to spend some quiet time together before he had to sleep.

We said our goodbyes, and I promised Fallon that we would talk some more if she came by the apartment the next evening. When we reached the stairs, Eric scooped me into his arms and we flew back to Mahesh-Ra's apartment. I wasn't sure if she heard me screaming, but she came into the apartment just as we were finishing up.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I awoke to find that the room was still pitch black. I wasn't quite sure of the time but Eric was in the bed beside me, so it had to be just before dawn. I crept out into the hallway to get a glass of water. I saw Meshra sitting in the livingroom having down time. I wondered if I should disturb her, but I didn't think it would be polite to walk by without speaking.

"G'night, Meshra." She didn't move right away, but she turned slowly as Eric had done when he was having downtime. She smiled at me. I couldn't fathom what it would be like to be 5,000 years old. She had seen everything imaginable and I wondered if she got tired or weary or just plain worn out on life.

"Sookie, dear heart. Come see me. We haven't had a moment to ourselves."

I was glad that I'd pulled my robe around me because vampires could tolerate much colder temperatures than humans, and it was freezing in the salon. I sat down next to her on the couch.

"You are enjoying Paris, no?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you again for hosting us. I'm glad we could come see you."

"Eric loves you, you know. I can tell. My son is very happy."

"Sometime I'd like to hear all about when he was younger."

"Oh, he was a wonderful child, so considerate, so joyous. He relished being vampire more than my other two. And now, he shares my blood. I have been awaiting this day for a very long time."

"Eric said that you were immortal before you were turned, what was that like? How did you become a god's wife? I mean, if it's not too personal." I had a moment where I realized that she may not want to discuss something so private with a stranger.

"I was offered to him as a sacrifice. I was a supernatural being that you would refer to as an angel. I fell into a trap in a mortal body, and found myself being given to a young god, who thought much too highly of himself. By binding me to him through a blood exchange, I was supposed to make him immortal. However, I was not dependent upon others believing in me. My husband Ammit Hani-Ra died out because no one remembered to believe in him. He was a destroyer of worlds, and we went through a period of lasting peace. We tried to hold on to the old ways, but no one was interested in warring at that time, so he withered away. I could not return to my angelic form. I was ruined, so I sought out the blood drinkers as an act of revenge on those who had trapped me. I brought the blood drinkers to Egypt. I mothered some of the first vampires. We perfected turning on those first young souls. "

Eric and I were bonded through blood exchanges too. Would I be recalling to someone else the way in which I'd become immortal? She picked up her story again.

"I never died, you know. I never went into the soil like other vampires. It was always such a curiosity to me that they have to go into the soil. They would disappear for two to three nights, depending on the strength of the vampire who turned them, and reappear, glowing, radiant and magical. Completely changed from human to vampire. I have known a few others like me, who never died. We merely slept for two or three days straight, and were transformed. It has to do with the hierarchy of magical beings."

I'd remembered Niall telling me about this structure the night we'd had dinner at Les Deux Poissons. Fairies were way up at the top, just under angels, but above vampires. At the time, I took it as a little bragging and a little trumpery. Eric had told me that fairies thought more of themselves than they had a right to. But maybe he was wrong about that. If fairies were thought of as gods because of their extraordinary magic, it might give them a high opinion of themselves. Divas didn't get that way on their own.

I saw the sky lightening out the window and knew that she would have to leave soon. I thought I'd make it easy for her to end our conversation, so I stood to go back to bed. Eric would be slipping into his sleeping space soon.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Sookie. I am not yet ready to retire and there are things that I would like to tell you about our family."

"But the sun, it's rising you'll be sick." She didn't seem the slightest bit concerned that the sun was rising.

"I have some time yet. Have a seat." She patted the cushion beside her. I sat back down and waited while she gathered her composure. Maybe this was a game that she played with herself to see if she could push to the very edge of sunlight.

"I do not want you to think poorly of my children. Marius and Fallon are simply delightful children. I know that Marius can seem overwhelming and that he is very competitive with Eric. There is a very long story behind it. They are locked in a struggle that I am afraid is my fault. Perhaps if I'd been a better mother, I might have managed it differently, but as it is, I have to handle them as the issues arise.

My Fallon, she is a very special girl. She is often lost in the middle between my boys and I fear that she thinks I do not love her as much as I love them. I noticed that she has taken an interest in you, Sookie. If I may beg a favor, if you would please show her extra kindness while I figure out what to do with her."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened to her. I tried asking Eric, but he doesn't seem to know."

"What I can tell you is that my daughter has suffered many indignities in her long life. Her brothers know nothing of this." She seemed so sad that I put my hand on hers and she smiled warmly. "You have a kind heart, Eric chose you for that reason. He has been around so many horrible, hateful people. It is nice that he has found someone who will let him be the kind, sweet person that I know him to be."

"Are we talking about Eric Northman?" I had benefited from his great kindness, and I suppose a few others had as well, but I would never describe Eric as kind and sweet.

"I know he can be ruthless and cold; that is a vampire's nature. He has worked very hard to shield himself from some of the atrocities that he has been exposed to."

I could see the sunlight beginning to come through the draperies, and I thought she might run quickly to her bedroom. When she sat still, I wondered what was happening. I hoped that she was not planning to meet the sun on my watch.

"Meshra, you should be getting to bed. It really is getting brighter in here and I'm worried about…." She cut me off with a raised hand.

"I can tolerate very weak sunlight for a short period of time. And so can Eric now that he has had my blood. Eric has changed into something more like me; he is still vampire, but he is near immortal. That is why you have seen changes in yourself."

"If Eric and I continue sharing blood, will I become a vampire? I don't want to be turned."

"No, you will not be turned by sharing blood with Eric alone. You would have become vampire by now with the amount of blood that you have ingested. Eric told me that you cannot be glamoured, but that you have been changing; he said that your hair is silkier and lighter, your skin is clear, you've lost weight, your teeth are sharper, you are stronger. All of those are attributes of becoming vampire, but I do believe that you would have turned by now. It is my opinion, and I am as close to an expert as I think you'll find on matters vampiric, that you would have turned by now if you were going to. I believe that if you ever decided to become one of us, you would have to do something I have not seen done in a very long time. You would need three drainers and three donors. You would not be beholden to any one of them You would be your own free vampire with no maker. I have overseen the process numerous times if you choose to turn."

"If I decided that I wanted to be turned, would I be able to stay married to Eric?"

"Yes, without a maker, you wouldn't owe loyalty to anyone. You could be your very own person, much like I have always been. We are very similar, you and I. I was proud that Eric saw fit to give you my ring as a wedding ring. But if you decide that you'd like your own ring, I will understand."

"I am proud to have your ring, Meshra. Thank you for allowing me to wear it. I think it's beautiful." I looked down at the entwined bands of gold and wondered about its origins. "Where did you get it? If I may ask."

She smiled and rose to go to bed. "I got that ring from someone that I loved more than I have loved anyone except my children. A vampire named Titus. He was Marius's and Fallon's father, and I love him still, though he is no longer with us. But that is a story for another time, perhaps."

"I would love to hear the story some time, goodnight Meshra." She kissed each of my cheeks and held me for a moment. Then she went down the hall. I thought about what she'd said about Eric tolerating weak sunlight for a short period of time. I wondered if that was one of the side effects that she'd mentioned.

I got a drink of water and went into our room. The room was nearly pitch black and I figured that Meshra had the windows treated in the bedrooms like I had seen at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel in Rhodes. I slipped in beside Eric and watched him sleeping. My husband, I thought. I leaned over and kissed him, enjoying the idea that we could wake up together like we did in the hospital. He would be able to have a quick breakfast with me maybe, or see his pear trees in the early morning light. I was excited for him, and curious if it would take some adjustment on his part. I rolled over and tried to get a nap in before I headed out to sightsee. He put his arm around me protectively and pulled my back against his chest. I smiled in the dark.

I spent the day with Bobby Burnham at the Louvre, and late afternoon with Lisette. She and I cleaned the apartment, and arranged the dozens of flowers that I'd purchased for Meshra. I wanted to surprise her and Eric when they arose. I took out my French phrase book and asked Lisette to help me get a room at a hotel. At first, she thought I was leaving Eric, but when I pointed to my wedding ring, she understood. I blushed a little, because I was basically admitting that I needed a place where Eric and I could have sex. She covered her mouth to giggle, and I was glad that she was my age. She arranged everything, and wrote down the name of the hotel.

Meshra and Eric rose shortly after 5:30, which was an hour earlier than I was expecting. I was still in sweats and my hair was in a ponytail. Eric came into the salon while Lisette and I were dancing to French music with English lyrics and singing into our feather dusters. And while Lisette barely spoke any English, she and I came up with a way to communicate with each other. Eric stood in the doorway laughing and I turned beet red. Meshra rushed to the flowers and pulled a bouquet to her chest.

"J'adore les fleurs, merci, thank you, Sookie."

I kissed Eric and he pulled me into our bedroom.

"We have a date, I need you to get showered and changed."

"I told Fallon that I wanted to see her tonight."

"I'll call her while you're in the shower, go. You can't be late or I'm leaving without you."

"Come shower with me." He shook his head.

"No we'll be really late if we do that. Go. I'll take care of Fallon. And Sookie, thanks for getting flowers for Meshra, she really does have a thing for daffodils."

"You're welcome, baby." I got in the shower and dressed in a midnight blue dress that complimented my blue eyes. When I came out, dressed and ready to go, Eric was waiting for me at the door. He was wearing a dark silver suit, with a black silk shirt. His collar was open, and he held out a rose for me. It wasn't a Ravenwood, but it was just as pretty. I kissed him and smelled my rose.

Meshra stopped me at the door and offered me a diamond necklace to wear. It was a teardrop shaped diamond that looked too large to be real. I thanked her and we went down to the street. There was a horse drawn carriage on the street in front of the apartment.

"Sookie, would you join me for an evening at the Eiffel Tower?"

"That would be wonderful." He lifted me up, and floated us up into the carriage. He said something to the driver in French, and we began rolling. It was windy and kind of chilly out, so Eric held me closely. We toured the city streets, winding through neighborhoods, and shops along the river Seine. We pulled up to the Champ de Mars and the coachman helped me out of the carriage. There was a table and chairs set up in the grass, and a small band played softly just for us. The singer was a young woman who nodded to Eric as we approached, and then began singing in English.

He led me to the table, and motioned for me to sit. I sat down and he pushed my chair in.

"Eric, if we weren't already married, I'd swear you were about to ask."

"I want you to enjoy being married to me. Our life together is going to be challenging, so I want to spoil you when we're together."

"Honey, you don't have to go out of your way, I just want to be with you. This is such a nice surprise." I stared up at the tower. It was illuminated with hundreds of lights, and it glowed orange against the purple sky.

"I watched this being built from Meshra's roof. There was a pretty vocal group of French citizens that didn't want it to be constructed, and now look. It's the symbol of France." Eric waved his hand slightly and two waiters appeared, one with a wine bucket and a bottle of _Royalty_, and the other with a plate of sliced fruit and cheeses for me. The waiter with the blood filled Eric's glass and poured a glass of champagne for me. I tested my French on him by saying thank you very much and you're very kind.

"So tell me, Lover, do you miss Bon Temps much?"

"Bon what?" I smiled. I could get used to living this way, and with Eric, this would be my life. "I miss Jason a little, but I am truly blown away by how beautiful this city is. Bobby and I walked for hours today. We went to the Louvre and saw the most wonderful special exhibit about Italian rivals Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese. I have never been impressed by Renaissance art, but it was really interesting and beautiful. I wish you could have been there." I immediately felt bad when I realized what I'd said. This was exactly what Eric was worried about, that I would grow so rueful of missing him that I wouldn't want to be with him anymore.

"They have night time hours at the Louvre for Vampires. I could take you back. Paris is a very progressive city, if you want, we could relocate to Europe. There are far more twenty-four hour facilities here than in the U.S. By the way, did you see anyone familiar in any of the paintings?"

"Familiar? What do you mean, like La Jaconde, the Mona Lisa or do you mean like someone I should know?"

"I'm in one of the paintings there. _The Intervention of the Sabine Women_ by Jacques-Louis David. He smiled.

"Are you messing with me?"

"No, I'm not messing with you, Jacques-Lou, as we called him, was a friend of mine and he needed a model. As you have so often pointed out, my rear view is stellar."

"That is just about the most fantastical thing that I have ever heard."

"If you don't believe me, I will take you back to the Louvre, drop trou and show you."

I laughed at the thought of standing in a gallery staring up at a gorgeous recreation of Eric's ass, then having him drop his pants and do a comparison. I smiled at him. "Is Marius in a painting too?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

He filled his glass again, and I looked at him intently, this was life with an immortal. I wanted this life: museums, traveling, fine food and wine and shopping. Eric was offering me the chance to live my dream of moving to Paris. I would certainly have to think about it.

"I don't know if I could leave Ravenwood, it's so beautiful. I could live there forever. Maybe we could get an apartment here to visit a few months out of the year."

"Can I get you anything else?"

"I'm fine, I really am." I touched the diamond at my neck.

"That looks amazing on you."

"I can't believe she let me wear it. What if I lose it?"

"You won't lose it. Meshra means to give it to you as a wedding present. I can tell. My mother is not very subtle."

"Eric, why did you leave Europe twenty-five years ago? What happened that made you leave your family and go so far away?"

"Well, that was the second time that I'd left Europe, the first time was when I built Ravenwood nearly one hundred twenty years ago. Things were going smoothly for my whole family, then Fallon got into some trouble with a man. No one could find her, my mother panicked, so Marius and I went and got her. It's a long story, but the short version is that Marius and I had a disagreement and, well, it got pretty ugly. It always gets ugly between us. I don't understand why Marius gets so angry with me, but he and I can't be around each other for very long. I left because Europe wasn't big enough for Marius and me. It still isn't in some ways."

"What happened between you, Marius and Pam?"

"Sookie, this is our date, are you sure you want to hear about this? There are parts of this story that may hurt you, or make you insecure and I don't want you to worry about my relationship with Pam."

"I'm sure, Eric. Now is as good a time as any." I didn't think I could stand the suspense any longer. I didn't know why I was worried, it was clear that he didn't love her now, but I needed to know what to make of their relationship. I spread some brie on a slice of baguette and watched him drain his glass.

"I made Pam about 220 years ago." He saw me open my mouth to interrupt but he smiled. "She lies about her age to make herself seem younger. She and I had been in London together for about 15 years. I know that you know that she and I were lovers. I created her because I needed a companion. Keep in mind that this was two centuries before you were born, so please don't be hurt, but I was madly in love with her. She was not in love with me, but I hoped that she would learn to love me. I was proud that she was my first vampire and I was a strong maker. I took her to Rome to meet Marius and Fallon, and Marius proceeded to seduce Pam and convince her to ask me to release her. I didn't want to let her go because I loved her, and because I would have been alone again. Marius kept pushing, and she was so crazy about him that I could hardly stand it. We all lived together in an apartment and it was madness. I would demand that Pam sleep with me, to make Marius angry. She had to obey me, but she would lie there and tell me that she wanted to be with Marius. I told her that I loved her and that I would be good to her, but she didn't want me. I was angry and hurt that she would reject me for my brother. He knew that I loved her, he knew that she meant a lot to me as a maker." He paused to see if I was okay. I had to admit, it hurt like hell to think that he loved her so much, even if it was a long time ago. I didn't think I'd be able to look at Pam the same way again.

"You all right, Sookie?"

"I'm all right, go on and tell me all of it." It was best handled like a band-aid, just ripped off and dealt with.

"She and Marius came to me one night and begged me to release her. I had had enough of them treating me poorly and being angry with me. I was frustrated that she didn't love me back, so I told her to leave and never let me see her again. I was crushed.

She and Marius disappeared and I didn't hear from them again for 3 years. Pam sent word to me that she and Marius were in Zurich, Switzerland living in an area now known as Kirschgasse. She said that he was taking chances that could expose them and would I please come talk some sense into him. I refused. I told her that she'd made her bed and she would have to lie in it. I moved back to Sweden near where my village had been. She and Marius showed up there and needless to say I was very, very angry. They flaunted their relationship, and then Marius began hunting in areas where I had been, and things began happening. Villagers reported people missing and the description of the last known companion of the victims began to fit my description. Which as you know is Marius, right? I asked them to leave so that I could be in peace and they refused.

One night, I followed them to ask them to leave again; Marius was jeopardizing my ability to stay in my own village. I approached Pam and she was sobbing; hair a wreck, dress torn and dirty. I asked her where Marius was, and she told me that she didn't know, but that he had really messed up. She told me that they were drinking from the mayor's twin girls who were 13, and his four-year old son walked in. He saw Marius and went for help. Pam tried to kill him to stop him from telling, but she couldn't kill a child. She saw Marius fleeing. The boy got away and the Mayor came to the girl's room where he discovered his dead daughters. They began searching the house for Pam and Marius, so I burned the house to the ground after trapping everyone inside. I got Pam and I took her back to London. I gave her the option of returning to me and pledging loyalty, or I could destroy her on the spot. She chose to come to Paris with me, but I told her she could never see Marius again."

I sat quietly for a few minutes. It's one thing to think that your husband is capable of killing, and quite another to hear him talking about burning down a house with people in it, including children. I admonished myself; this was the past. Eric would never do something like that now. It was a different time. I tried to think about what Meshra had said about Eric witnessing atrocities. How many of those were his own doing? He sat still, looking down at my plate. I knew he was waiting for me to respond, but I had a million thoughts, not one of them good.

"I asked Pam if she'd ever been in love. Was she talking about Marius?"

"She would have to be talking about him, he's the only man she's ever loved as a vampire."

"She told me that she wishes that she'd done more to keep their relationship together. That doesn't sound like what you're saying happened." Would Eric really have held Pam against her will? I wondered whose version I could believe. My Gran always said there were three truths in relationships: his, hers and the truth. Eric had never lied to me, so I figured it must be some combination of both.

"Pam is obviously practicing revisionist history. She doesn't recall how bad it was when I came to get her. She spent evenings walking the streets looking for him. I would find her sitting in windows, drawing little hearts in the condensation. She was devastated. I had to hunt for both of us, bringing food back to the apartment for her, or she wouldn't feed. I was so fed up with her damned pouting that I released her again and sent her out with a wad of cash and a train ticket."

"Why would Marius work so hard to take Pam from you? And how is it that you and he can stand to be in the same room together?"

"Meshra intervened for Fallon. She threatened to meet the sun if we didn't work things out. Fallon began having issues with cutting herself and that's when this eating disorder got worse."

"I'm sorry that things have been so hard for you." I placed my hand over his, and he put his other hand over mine.

"It is of no consequence, Lover. I wouldn't have you if he hadn't taken her from me. I haven't had feelings for Pam for nearly 180 years. The whole episode only lasted about 20 years." I laughed awkwardly. If he had been human, it would have been a tragic story of a man pining away for the lost love of a lifetime. For Eric, it was like a crazed month of wanting someone, then suddenly not.

"Are you sure I haven't ruined our evening? You know that Pam is free to come and go as she pleases. I released her long ago and she chooses to stay with me. Pam has no feelings of romantic love for me, nor I for her." The band continued playing softly in the background, and I nodded to the music.

"I know, honey. I know. It's hard to hear, I'm not going to lie. The thought of you being that crazy about her, and then when I saw her in your arms a few weeks back…."

"If it would make you happy, I would send her away. I don't want you to be uncomfortable with her around. Pam is a good employee, but you are far more important to me." He held up a strawberry for me to eat. I leaned forward and bit. Juice trailed down my chin and he leaned in and kissed me.

"It's not necessary, I'll get over it. I'll just have to remind her that you're mine."

"I like the sound of that."

Eric fed me the rest of my dinner, as I stared at him. I knew there was a lot more I didn't know about him, but this seemed to be one of the big stories of his life. I hoped there weren't any ex-wives lurking around. When I asked him about it, he laughed loudly.

"No, I don't have any ex-wives. You're my second wife, and honestly, I didn't love Aude the way that I love you. Our relationship was one of necessity. I needed children to grow our tribe, she needed a husband so that our families would stay bonded. It wasn't like you and me. I can tell you with all honesty that I have never felt this way."

"Eric, I'm very flattered. I don't know what I did to make you love me, but I'm glad you do." We got up to leave, but I had another question that I wanted answered. I looked up at him, and he tilted his head curiously. He could tell I was phrasing a question in my mind, and he waited. "When did you know that you were in love with me?"

He smirked and looked up at the Eiffel Tower. "You're going to think this is stupid."

"No I won't, I'm just curious. I was a little late to the party. I had feelings for you, but I couldn't put a name to them because I'd never felt this way before either. I didn't have somebody there telling me I was in love, I just knew that I couldn't stop thinking about you. Wondering what you were doing at that moment. Wondering what you would think about things. Hoping you'd be outside my bedroom window. If my Gran had been alive to make me see it for what it was, I'd have to say, Mr. Northman, I've been in love with you for quite some time."

"I--I told Pam the night we met that you were mine and that I had to find a way to get to know you. As for when did the lightning bolt hit me? When I zipped up that spandex jumpsuit and saw myself in the mirror. I knew at that moment that I was beyond a doubt messed up over you."

"Honey, that was a very long time ago."

"You're hard on men, Angel. I have to say, the number of men fighting for you in the past five years has been very interesting. I would think I had you, then, I had someone else to fend off. But I have you now, and you're mine." He leaned down and kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. He took my hand and we began walking towards the river Seine. After a few minutes walking, we found a bench and sat down.

"Did you let Fallon know that I'd like to see her tomorrow night, since we had a date?"

"Oh yes, she was fine. She understood. I promised her I'd find her a nice Moroccan boy with type A blood." We sat quietly and stared out at the Seine, I could hear children laughing on the carousel, and I had a fleeting moment of sadness as I remembered that I would never know what it would be like to have Eric's child.

"What just happened?" He sensed my mood change and put his arm around my shoulder.

"It was stupid, nothing. Let's walk." But we didn't. He just looked down at me, knowing what I meant without me saying it. I welled up a little as he looked into my eyes and I looked away. He took a deep breath and sighed. That made the tears start and he took out a black handkerchief. I dabbed my eyes and sniffled twice. When I looked over at him, he was biting his lip. I took his hand.

"Hey, don't, okay. Just don't. It's everything, it's hearing about Pam, it's being away from home, its jetlag, just don't."

"Okay." But he was still sullen. I don't even know why it struck me in that instant to have a pang of regret, but he had felt it too. "It doesn't have to be my child, Sookie."

"Please don't." The tears came faster now, and he pulled me to his chest. I cried for a couple of minutes and stopped. It wouldn't be the end of the world, I'd still have him, and we would have a wonderful life together. I stood, pulling him off the bench. I caught him off guard, and he dropped his handkerchief. "Come, fly me to the Hotel de Londres Eiffel. I have something for you."

"You got us a room, you wonderful, wonderful girl."

That night, we made love slowly and sweetly, and if we could have made a child together, it would have been conceived in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The following nights were filled with the theatre, the ballet, concerts, museums, and dinners with friends that were new to me, and centuries old to Eric. Fallon and Marius came to Meshra's every night. We spent one rainy evening indoors where I solidly beat everyone at chess except for Meshra. She was an exceptional chess player and I had to concede my queen a fair number of times. During the days, I wandered Paris, practicing my French on people patient enough to let me. Bobby and I walked the streets, shopping, taking pictures and scouting out new things for Eric and me to do at night.

I was on a first name basis with Mrs. Auberge who ran the café downstairs from the apartment. The evening staff at the Hotel de Londres Eiffel recognized us as the newlyweds from Louisiana and waved whenever we made our frenzied way up to room 20. Every late afternoon, I would call Jason and check in with him. He said things were running smoothly at Ravenwood, and that he hoped we didn't mind if he had a few friends over. I told him that would be fine and that I missed him. It was the most incredible three weeks of my life.

Eric told me that we could stay as long as we liked, but that he'd have some business to attend to if we were going to stay much longer than a month. I told him I was ready to get back to Ravenwood and settle in to my new life. Eric said he had one more surprise for me our last week. Marius and Fallon were coming to dinner at Meshra's and we were going to be saying our farewells. I was very sad to be saying goodbye to my new family. It was the best feeling in the world to have Fallon to laugh with, and Marius making jokes about Meshra's adventures with Lord Malbec. Eric was so relaxed and a part of me was worried that the feelings of calm would wear off when we got back to America. We still didn't know who had tried to kill Eric. I couldn't believe that Quinn would do something that awful, even if he was a jerk.

Marius arrived first, and kissed me at the door. He and I had come to an understanding, and I thought maybe he knew that Eric had told me about his relationship with Pam. After Marius stopped being charming, he was really a decent guy. I wondered briefly about sending Pam to Europe to track him down again, but that was probably a little jealousy talking.

Fallon rushed in a few minutes later, she seemed more frantic than usual, as if she was worried that she was late for something. I hugged her and kissed each of her cheeks. France was really growing on me.

Meshra lit candles and turned on music, she'd made them promise to eat before they came so I wouldn't feel left out or uncomfortable. Eric fed from me, and I had a few sips of _Royalty_ to fend off the shakiness. I wasn't as dependent upon it as we'd feared, but Eric said it couldn't hurt for me to stop taking his blood for a while. We sat down on the floor, as had become the ritual. Meshra had huge silk pillows that we'd pile up on the floor and sit. She'd start off remembering something and then we'd take a turn talking about our own experiences in the world. Some of Marius and Eric's stories were the funniest things I'd ever heard. There had been a time when Eric and Marius got into pranks and practical jokes, and Meshra said that she and Fallon nearly cried laughing so hard the time that Eric locked Marius in his coffin and he had had to kick his way out. When they found him, he had one leg sticking out, kicking at the air. Marius had gotten Eric back by shortening all of Eric's pants by 5 inches. I laughed until my face hurt.

Meshra, who was sitting on my left, took my hand suddenly and placed the diamond necklace in it.

"Darling daughter, I want you to have this. It looks more magnificent on you than it ever looked on me, and I just want you to know that I love you. I wish you and Eric a happy life together." She kissed each of my cheeks, and I realized then that I'd missed having a mother more than I'd known. I thanked her, and told them I'd miss them all.

"Cara mia, we can come to visit you, provided the Sheriff, as you Americans call them, will permit me to enter your area." Marius winked at Eric and he smiled.

"You can come any time you want, but you will have to do at least three nights work at Fangtasia."

"Alas, it has been a pleasure knowing you but I cannot do that." We laughed because we knew that Marius was exaggerating. I hoped that they would come to visit us, it would bring a little of France home to Ravenwood. Fallon looked as if she had been trying to get my attention all evening. I told everyone that I needed to go to the kitchen and asked Fallon if she would help me. I extended my hand to help her stand, and she and I went into the kitchen.

"What did you need help with, Sookie?" I sat down at the kitchen table and motioned for her to sit.

"Honey, I can tell that you have been trying to catch my eye all evening, what's going on?" She looked down at her folded hands and back up at me.

"I don't want you to leave. Having you here has been the most wonderful thing that has happened to our family. My brothers are getting along, I finally have someone to talk to, Meshra is happy that Eric has had her blood, so now she feels as if he's really hers. It's just been really good to have you here. Do you guys have to leave?"

"Well, it's not that we have to leave, it's that well, Eric has a business to run and I have to…." Well, what did I have to do? I really did want to go back to Ravenwood, but I didn't have any pressing obligations to return to. Maybe Eric and I should stay in Paris.

"Would you consider coming to see us in Louisiana?"

"I would think about it, but my doctor would need to come with me. I, I really don't know. If Marius would come with me, or if Meshra would come, maybe."

"Fallon, how's your treatment coming?"

"My doctor and I are trying to figure out if there's something I can eat that won't make me sick. I feed and then right after, I get horribly sick. I have cramps and I throw up and it hurts. Type A blood is less painful to me, but it isn't much better. I've been searching for centuries for a blood that won't make me ill. I've tried all manner of animal blood, and I just can't seem to find the one that will make me feel normal. My brothers talk about how good they feel, how strong and sated. I never feel that. I feel horrible after every meal. I'm just sick of it." Her eyes welled up and I hugged her. I got her a paper towel. It was hard to believe that she was older than Eric, because as old as she was, she was such a young spirit. She put her head on my shoulder and cried. "I don't want you to go. You're the only one who believes me that there is something wrong. I'm not even sure if my own mother believes me."

"Fallon, honey, would you consider letting a human doctor take a look at you? I know you all are afraid of human doctors, but your vamp doctor hasn't been able to help you in how many years? I just want you to get better. You can come stay with us anytime you want, I would love to spend more time with you. And Eric would love that too. Maybe you'd be happier someplace else, maybe America would be good for you. I wish I understood why you're hurting so badly. Has someone been hurting you?" She cried harder and I waited for her to talk. She hadn't ever been able to tell Marius or Eric any of this because they didn't take her seriously. I smoothed her hair and waited until she was ready to talk. I felt her hiccup a little and she wiped her eyes.

"I want to tell you want happened to me, but I don't want you to judge me. Promise me you won't."

"I swear, Fallon. I swear. You're safe. You can tell me anything you want." I stood up and wet another paper towel. I crouched in front of her, wiped the drying blood from her cheeks and held her hands in mine.

"When I was a human girl, my father did things to me that he shouldn't have. I couldn't tell my mother because you didn't tell anyone that that sort of thing was happening to you; you kept your mouth shut. I became pregnant and he forced me out of our village. I never saw my mother or sisters again. I wandered around for a few nights looking for food and trying to stay warm; I was picked up by an enemy tribe passing through our area. The men did things to me not realizing that I was pregnant, but at least I was alive.

One night, while they were being especially brutal to me, a woman wandered into the village. She killed all of the men and took me from them. It was Meshra. She saved me from them. I had the baby a little early, but he was healthy and he was mine.

At the time, I couldn't understand why I only saw Meshra at night, but then, one night, she told me what she was, and she offered it to me. I told her that I didn't want to become vampire, I had a child to care for. She said that I could travel with her as long as I kept her safe during the day. She would keep the baby and me safe at night. We met up with her lover Titus and his son, Marius in Russia. We stayed there together for nearly two years. I would run errands for them during the day, and they would make sure that my son and I had food and shelter. I thought it was perfect, but then Appius Livius Ocella came and things were bad again. He would tell Meshra that he would make sure that I was safe for the evening and everyone would leave. He raped me every night for weeks. I was horribly afraid of him, as he kept telling me that he would kill my son if I said anything to Meshra. Titus found out that he was hurting me and he asked Appius to leave. That night, Appius drained me, intending to kill me. Titus found me and turned me because Meshra had become attached to me. Appius stole my son and I never saw him again.

Meshra was furious, not only because it meant that we didn't have a daytime person to help us find safe sleeping, but because she had promised to protect me and I didn't want to be turned. I didn't want that one thing the most in the world, and she couldn't do anything about it. The one thing that she promised me was that if I ever decided that I was tired of living she would take care of me herself. I was a liability, and it's to her credit that she stayed with me. Titus was called back to Rome and Meshra, Marius and I went to Russia.

Marius took care of me until I was stronger and better able to care for myself, but I had trouble adjusting to drinking blood. It has always made me sick. I survived by drinking cows and goats for a short time. I don't remember much about this time, but Appius showed up at our door with Eric. I can't tell you the rest. I don't remember." She put her hands to her eyes and shook her head violently.

I had been crying the whole time she was telling me how awful her life had been. I stood and put my arms around her. No wonder she was an emotional wreck. Her life, and that of her child's had been stolen from her.

Eric came in, sensing that I was upset. He saw Fallon crying and hugged us both.

"What's going on, Angel?"

"Fallon's been telling me about how she came to live with Meshra. She's pretty upset. I'm thinking she may need your mom."

"No, no, I'm okay." She sobbed. "I-I," She began crying again and I slid out of Eric's arms so that he could hold his sister.

"Shhh, Fallon. What's the matter?"

"Why can't I remember? What happened when you came to live with us?" Eric stooped so that he could look her in the eyes. He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. It was a tender gesture that caused my heart to swell with love for him.

"Appius had to leave, remember? His maker was killed and he went to council in Germany to appeal to them to avenge his maker's murder." Marius came in, and the mood of the room changed suddenly.

"That's not what happened at all. We didn't tell you any of this because it was mostly your fault."

"My fault how?" Eric was becoming angry and I could sense his building frustration with Marius.

"The things that happened to her. They were because of that demon father of yours. If you'd never come to live with us, this wouldn't have happened."

Marius led Fallon out into the salon, and Eric followed him.

"My father has absolutely nothing to do with her being fucked up, and you know it." I followed them out to the salon and noticed that Meshra was not in the room.

"He has everything to do with it. You don't know what he did to her before you were even born. He raped her and stole her child, Eric." Marius held Fallon protectively, and Eric ran his fingers through his hair.

"And no one thought to tell me any of this? No one cared enough to tell me that my maker had done these things to my sister?"

"Have you ever given any thought as to why she is the way she is? No, you haven't. You took off to America and left her with us. You've been off playing Sheriff while Meshra and I worry every evening that she is becoming more and more self-destructive. I wish mother had had the guts to kill you."

"Try it now, Marius if you want me dead. Be a man and do it yourself."

"Fuck you, I have to take care of our sister."

"Oh, you're such a fucking martyr. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself, you two baby her and won't let her grow up."

"Stop it! Stop yelling. I hate when the two of you fight. You're just alike. Neither of you cares what is really wrong with me. Eric, you think it is funny that I cannot eat. You mock me with your eye rolling and your jokes. And Marius, he's right. Stop treating me as if I am a doll. I want to be a grown up woman. I want to find love, and I want to be on my own. You are both suffocating me with your egos. I cannot stand it anymore. I can't stand that I can't remember and I can't stand that I can't forget!" She collapsed to the floor and I ran to her side. Meshra ran in.

"What is going on in here? Someone tell me maintenant." By her expression I took that to mean now.

We all sat on the floor on the big pillows in front of Meshra. I asked if they would like me to leave since this seemed like serious family business, but Meshra demanded that I stay.

"My children, how I have worked to shield you from these awful things. We should have dealt with this sooner, perhaps. But here we are." She took a deep breath for effect. "I have resisted telling you these things, hoping they would sort themselves out, but alas, they have not. I did what I did because I love you." She looked at her children, as she spoke. "I have loved each and every one of you, so much. I was angry when Titus turned you Fallon, but I was angry with myself, not him. I had sworn to you on my honor that you would not be turned and my actions led to you being turned anyway.

As you all know, Titus, their father was my lover. He was the great love of my life. But what you don't know Eric and Fallon is that Marius is my natural child. Titus and I created a child together. Marius is one of the few vampires in the world who was born this way. To my knowledge there are only five or six others in existence, all with mixed blood; vampire and either angel or fairy. Titus and I had a tempestuous relationship at times and we would split up for decades.

I met Appius in Greece one hundred years before I'd met Titus; he and I had been nest mates and lovers. Years later, when Titus and I were bonded in a way that we call marriage today, I turned to Appius at a time when Titus and I were separated and he took over our nest. He insisted that I get rid of Fallon. I told him that I never would, that I had sworn on my honor. Titus kept telling me that he knew something was happening to you, that you were being harmed, and I didn't listen to him. I was blind to Appius, and he hurt you. I'm so sorry for that. Appius tried to kill you, and Titus spared you because I loved you so. We sent Appius away, and as young as he was, Marius took charge of your care." Fallon nodded as if she remembered that part. Marius stroked her hair.

"Things were good for about two-hundred years. Titus, Marius, Fallon and I lived in Russia, then China, and I made the mistake of wanting to go back to Italy. I could tell that Marius and Titus were pining away for home. We glamoured a family into giving up their home along the coast, and we lived comfortably until Appius came. He had young Eric with him. Eric, you were about seven years vampire at the time. This will be very hard for all of you to hear, but I want you to understand that I did what I had to do.

Eric was being abused. Appius was absolutely brutal to you, I know. I know what you were made to do and I was disgusted. You were so afraid to speak up, to defend yourself. You responded to the slightest affections much like a dog that has been beaten. You were languishing under his tutelage. Oh how he hated you. You were so beautiful, and you were such a skillful hunter and so eager to please your maker. He tried to crush that wonderful spirit of yours. I couldn't understand why he despised you so, but he brought you to me and asked me to destroy you. I was horrified. I couldn't understand why he would make such a magnificent vampire, then destroy him. I begged him to let me keep you instead. I didn't know why he wouldn't destroy you himself if he really intended to do it. But his real motives became clear. He used you, Eric, as a wedge between Titus and me.

Titus told me I had to get rid of you because Fallon came undone. You smelled like Appius, and your mannerisms were like his, as was your coarse nature at first. She hid in the forest for weeks at a time, afraid that you would harm her the way that your father had. Marius became overly protective of his sister, and the two of you fought viciously." She turned to Marius and said, "Do you remember this, Marius?" He nodded. "Titus and Marius took Eric back to Appius and insisted that he take responsibility for his mistakes. You must understand that I didn't see Eric as a mistake. Appius refused to take Eric back. He said that if we didn't take you, you would be abandoned and he would let you die. I couldn't let you die, you looked so much like my lovely son Marius. I was arrogant enough to think that I could raise three vampires at one time and give you each the love and attention that you deserved.

Well, Titus wasn't going to be bullied by Appius, he felt so much guilt at turning you Fallon, it was killing him inside. Marius has told me that Appius struck him, and that there was a struggle. Do you remember any of this Eric?" Eric had not looked up from our entwined hands the whole time she was speaking. I leaned close to him, sensing his turmoil.

"During the struggle, Titus was killed. Marius, you came back to me with ashes on your hands, and I knew. If I could have died that night, I would have. I vowed to kill Appius myself. She looked at me, as if to ask if I understood her actions. "I was devastated, but I had three children to care for. I lured Appius to our home with the promise that I would be his. I'd intended to stake him in bed because I was older and faster than he. I waited until you children were hunting for the evening, and I let him have me one last time. He was so stupid that he believed that I would forgive him for what he had done. Fallon, when you came home, you saw me preparing to kill him and you staked him yourself."

"Then why don't I remember any of this?" She was shaking and Marius was having a hard time holding her still while Meshra spoke.

"Because I had a witch blot your memory of that time, you were hysterical. You deserved revenge and you got it, but it cost you dearly. It has cost us all dearly." She looked down and I could see that they were all upset. Eric's maker had wanted him dead, Marius had witnessed Eric's maker kill his own father. And poor Fallon had been at the center of all of this. I wished there was something that I could do to help, but I sat quietly trying not to interfere. Marius cleared his throat.

"Fallon, I'm sorry we couldn't tell you. You truly were a danger to yourself for several months. We had to help you if we were to keep you, and Meshra isn't the only one who became attached to you. You are my blood, and I would do whatever I had to, to protect you." He kissed her head and she nodded.

Eric stood and went to the windows. I didn't know what he was thinking but I knew Eric was struggling with the idea that his maker could leave him with someone else. Meshra stood and went to him. She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. I excused myself to the bathroom and washed my face. My family troubles were nothing like theirs, and I felt like an intruder. I went down the hall and got a shawl. I would go for a walk to let them talk. I slipped out of the apartment and down the stairs. Eric must feel awful that his own maker wanted to kill him, and that all these centuries, he'd been treating his sister as if she was crazy. I walked downstairs to Gaudeamus, the café beneath Meshra's apartment and ordered a double gin and tonic.

I had picked up enough French to understand that the bartender thought that I was pretty, and that he wouldn't mind it if I got drunk enough to go home with him. I handed him my credit card with my left hand so that he could see the gold bands on my finger.

I sat at the bar watching the French evening news. From what I could make out, there was a sanitation strike impending which would leave the trash piling up around the public trash cans.

Eric came in and sat down on the stool next to me. The bartender suddenly took an interest in the customers at the other end of the bar.

"I'm really sorry about that."

"Don't be, honey. I just needed to give you guys some privacy. I feel really bad for you."

"Don't feel bad for me. I knew something must have happened to Appius considering he hadn't ever tried to contact me in one thousand years to ask me to do him any favors or loan him money. I had assumed that he must be dead. I just didn't know that my sister did it. If he raped her and stole her child, then he got what he deserved. I might have done the same to Titus if it had been necessary."

"How are they?" I sucked the ice in my glass and waved for the bartender to get me another double. He gave me a quick nod and replaced my glass.

"They will be fine. My sister has agreed to see a human doctor thanks to you. I apologized for not taking her seriously. We all would like to apologize to you for ruining our last evening in Paris. Meshra is especially sorry. But I'm not. I'm glad that we got it all out. It's kind of a shock for me to find out that Meshra gave birth to Marius after she was turned. I didn't know that was possible. But it explains why he feels I tried to replace him. I never understood his hostility up until now. Marius and I can go forward and they're going to let Fallon grow up. So, it's for the best." He took my hand and kissed it, "Lover, you are going to need me to carry you to the boat tonight, considering your condition." He was right, the suddenness of the alcohol and the amount hit me as I stood and he steadied me.

"Boat? What boat? Are we going on a boat?"

Eric threw ten Euros on the bar and picked me up. He carried me upstairs to Meshra's apartment where Bobby was waiting for us. He had arranged a short private flight for us, and to transport Eric's coffin. Lisette had packed our things and Meshra, Marius and Fallon were in a row waiting to kiss and hug us. I felt a lump growing in my throat as I leaned in to hug Fallon. When I'd first come here three weeks ago, I was expecting a brat like Frannie Quinn, or worse. What I'd found was a sweet, misunderstood vampire who brought out the gentle side of my husband. I wiped my eyes and she laughed at my clear tears.

'You come see us, okay?' I'm going to hold you to it. Take care of yourself, Fallon." She kissed each of my cheeks and I kissed her back. Meshra pulled me into her arms and I gave her a big hug. "Meshra, you have been so good to me. Thank you."

"You take care of each other. Love each other, and be happy. Thank you for bringing love and life back to this house." She kissed me and I smiled at her. Eric hugged her tightly.

"Meshra, my beautiful mother, thank you for your blood, thank you for giving us a home, and thank you for not turning me away when Appius wanted me dead." She kissed him on both of his cheeks and he kissed her cheeks. "I mean it, mom, thank you for giving me a family."

"I love you, son. I have always loved you and I always will."

Eric held Fallon quietly and didn't say anything for a long time. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Eric smiled at her. "Take care, Fallon. And when you are well, you come stay with us."

"I will, thank you Eric. Thank you for being my brother."

My nose began running and Marius handed me his handkerchief.

"Oh, Marius, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make such a mess of your handkerchief." I hugged him tightly, and he whispered into my ear in his thick Italian accent that he would taste me yet. I laughed and he kissed my wet cheeks.

"See, cara mia. That is a start, no? Eric, tell me is her blood as sweet as in my dreams?"

"No, Marius, she is sweeter than that." He smiled and slapped Marius on the back. "Come see me. I have missed you, and I really would like to see you again soon."

"I will, brother, I will. Maybe Fallon and I will come to this palazzo you call Ravenwood and have blood, and wine." He nodded to me. "Eric, I know that there has been trouble for you in America, so please be careful there, I do not wish to hear from our mother that you have met an untimely end. You are stubborn and proud, but you must be smart. Do not leave anything to chance. I tell you this as your big brother and nest mate. If you must hire extra security, do so. Sookie, do not let him be so proud that he does not take precautions."

"I promise, Marius." I waved as I began to walk out the door.

"Marius, cool it. You're scaring Sookie, I'll be fine. I just got caught off guard, but it won't happen again." He stared at Marius for a moment and I could tell that during that instant, they were saying goodbye not only to each other, but to the past that had divided them for so long. "You take care of mom and Fallon, okay?" Marius nodded and I saw a tear slip from his eyes. Eric pulled him into a hug and they held on. I went down the stairs to wait for him, sad to be leaving my family behind. When Eric caught up with me, he had streaks of blood on his cheeks, and I reached up to wipe them away.

"You made quite an impression, young lady. They love you."

"I love them. Eric, thank you for giving me a family. I missed it.

"So did I. He took my hand and we climbed into our awaiting limousine.

It was quiet on the street near St. Etienne, but as we drove toward Rue de la Montagne, the streets got busier. I had wandered these streets to the point that I knew each shop at each corner. I could live here very easily and within a few months, I could be fluent in French. Bobby pointed out a café on Boulevard Saint-Germain where I'd tried snails. Eric smiled at the stories that we'd told him about our daytime exploits.

I tried to absorb each of these moments because I didn't know when I'd be back to Paris. Eric too, sat quietly looking out the window. I had seen Meshra whispering something to him just before we left and I wondered if he was feeling all right. I held his hand and he smiled.

"Marius, who is usually a selfish bastard, has lent us the use of his yacht for a week. We are headed to Monte Carlo, to get you some of that precious sunshine that you so dearly love, and to cure me of my need to be absolutely and totally alone with the most beautiful girl in the world."

"Not cure forever, I hope."

"Never, my love. Never."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

We took a private jet from Paris to Nice, and from there were transported by limousine to Monte Carlo. The whole trip took up most of the evening, and I was worried that we wouldn't make it to light-tight space before Eric had to be asleep. I didn't know if Eric knew that he could tolerate weak sunlight or if Meshra was letting me tell him as a surprise, but I didn't want to find out the parameters of what weak meant. As it was, sunlight was beginning to creep up the edge of the mountainous sky, and I wondered how much farther. Bobby pointed out a hillside to our right as we wound our way through a quaint city. The hillside contained Grimaldi palace, the seat of Monagasque power. I would love to visit the palace, as I'd never actually seen a castle, let alone a castle with a sitting monarch. Eric pointed to a yacht that was anchored in a row of impressive yachts. British registries were the most prevalent, as well as a few Saudis thrown in for good measure. This was where high rollers went on vacation, and I knew I was out of my league.

As we climbed out of the limousine, Eric donned dark sunglasses. I didn't think that he knew about Meshra's secret. I couldn't decide if I would tell him at Ravenwood and surprise him at his pear trees, or if I should keep him up, making love on the yacht.

The yacht was large enough to have a crew, and according to Eric was a 200 footer. I snickered as we approached it. The yacht's name was _The Glamourous Life, _which was absolutely perfect for Marius. We climbed aboard and were greeted by the crew, which Eric promptly dismissed for the evening and told to go home. The sun was rising in earnest and I told Eric that we needed to get to bed. Bobby brought our bags aboard as we went below decks to a light shielded bedroom. I turned on the bedroom and bathroom lights so that we could get ready for bed. I promised Eric that for the week that we spent aboard the yacht, I would try to be on his schedule, since it wasn't possible the other way around. I was utterly exhausted by the emotions of the previous evening and from the travel. I took my overnight bag into the bathroom, marveled that such an awesome bathroom could be aboard a boat and stepped into the shower. Eric came in behind me and we quickly washed off the travel grime. I brushed my teeth and changed into a nightgown while he washed his hair. Eric came over to the sink to brush his teeth. I had been surprised to find that vampires brushed their teeth, but it made perfect sense since old blood smelled awful.

"I swear you wear those to frustrate me."

"I do not. I get chilly in bed, it's not like you're putting out any heat." I swatted him on the bottom and he laughed.

"That's a pretty gown, did you get that in Paris?"

"I did, I bought it yesterday. To replace the one you tore up at the hotel. You've destroyed the last three."

"Are you going to take the hint and sleep naked?" He leered at me from the sink as I hung my robe on the back of the door.

"Fine, but turn up the heat so I can sleep, I'm exhausted. I just want to sleep and sleep and sleep."

"You got pretty drunk last night. I'm kind of surprised you didn't pass out. Except that alcohol is probably going to be harder for you to metabolize with all the blood you've had." He flossed his fangs and I laughed.

"You know that you're cute when you floss?"

"I thought you said I do everything cute. You taking it back already? That's lame."

"I'm not. Come on to bed, Eric. Seriously, the sun is up up, not just sort of up.

"I've got some time yet." He smiled.

"So, Meshra told you?"

"You thought I wouldn't figure out that I was waking up earlier and not quite able to sleep when I did go to bed? I'm pretty excited to get to Ravenwood and have a quick sunrise romp with you."

"If you come to bed, we can do that now before I fall asleep. I'm not kidding, I'm going to fall asleep on you and you'll be frustrated." I climbed into the bed and pulled the sheets and blankets up. The bed was so soft that the feather pad actually came up around me a little. The bed smelled like the lavender soap at Meshra's house and I guessed that Marius had the laundry service use the same detergent as she. I reached over and snapped off the lamp on the bedside table. I laid my head down on the pillow and waited for Eric.

I awoke with the urgent need to pee. I misjudged the bathroom doorway in the dark and stubbed my toe. I fell to the floor and laughed because the pain was so intense that I actually wanted to cry. Eric had not come to bed before I'd fallen asleep and I noticed that my nightgown was intact. I washed my hands and went back into the bedroom tripping over one of Eric's shoes.

"Son of a Bitch."

"What the hell are you doing?" He laughed as he turned the light on.

"I can't see, I'm sorry. I blinded myself in the bathroom." I made it to the bed and climbed in. "What time do you think it is?"

"I don't really know, but it's probably late afternoon. We can stay down here and chat for a little while as the sun goes down."

"You didn't come to bed and I fell asleep, Sorry 'bout that." I had warned him that I was going down for the count.

"You haven't had a single nightmare since we came to France, had you realized that?"

I shook my head. I hadn't actually. I wondered if it was knowing the answer to the question that had plagued me for so long, or if it was because Eric and I were together now and I was secure about our relationship.

"What took you so long to come to bed?" I had hoped that we would celebrate our privacy by christening the ship so to speak, but I'd practically passed out.

"I haven't seen a sunrise in one thousand and 12 years. I went on deck and watched the sun come up for 15 minutes. I could have stayed a little bit longer, but I was afraid. I was genuinely afraid and I thought about waking you just in case, but it was glorious. I stared out over the water and saw things illuminated in a way that I've only been able to see since the invention of television. To see it first hand is breathtaking. My mother truly gave me a gift when she gave me her blood."

"Why couldn't you have had her blood earlier?" I had been meaning to ask him this question for weeks now.

"Because there will be side effects. She said it would change me in ways that I may not be entirely happy about. But I was willing to risk it to be here for you. I didn't want you to have to wait a year for me to get better."

"What sort of side effects?" I should have thought to ask that before he and I shared her blood.

"I really don't know. She wasn't ever specific and I didn't ask. You've seen how she is. She keeps things close to her chest. You wonder where I got the high-handedness as you call it. My mother is the queen of making decisions for others. Besides, I didn't think I would ever need it."

I ran my hand across his stomach and down into his silk boxers. His body took notice and responded immediately. He was right, I didn't want to wait for him any longer, and not being able to make love to him for over a year would have been torture. I slid my nightgown over my head and rolled over onto his chest.

"I hope the side effects aren't something awful, like decreased libido."

"You're pretty aggressive lately, Sookie. I love it." I had to work to get his boxers off because his legs are so long, but I was ready to go. He sat up and began kissing my neck. I put him inside of me, and worked down onto him. He made me so crazy that it didn't take much for me to be ready. I gasped and lifted myself the length of him.

"Lover, slow down. Slow down. You're going to have me." He lifted his hips and I dragged my nails across his back. I growled into his mouth while he kissed me. He flipped me over onto my back and plunged into me. I cried out and felt my head bang into the headboard. I laughed and he picked me up and scooted me down so that I wouldn't bang my head. I arched my back to take him, and he sank his teeth into my neck. He drank for a moment, then put his mouth on mine. We shared my blood, then I bit into him. I let the blood fill my mouth and I kissed him. He swallowed the blood that I gave him and I rolled him over onto his back. I couldn't believe that I was strong enough to move him, but Meshra's blood had made me as close to a vamp as I was comfortable with. He laughed, disbelieving that I'd rolled him over. I became frantic to get his blood. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it to my mouth. I bit in and he winced. I was crazed. I sucked deeply and he groaned out loud. He threw me down onto the bed and bit my breast. I screamed with pleasure. He moved his hips and made me see stars. I nearly blacked out, it was so good. I squeezed down onto him and he cried out, throwing his head back and moaning low and deep in his throat. He collapsed onto me and I pulled his wrist to my mouth. I licked the wound to close it, and I watched as my teeth marks faded. He looked down at my mouth.

"Lover, show me your teeth." I opened my mouth for him and showed him my teeth.

"What are you seeing?" I was worried that my teeth would be sharp enough that I'd start hurting myself.

"I want to try something, okay." He slipped his finger inside me and moved it around. I moaned and he stopped suddenly.

"Wow."

"Wow what? What do you mean by wow?" I had felt something, but I didn't know what the pressure was.

"Your teeth are getting longer when you're aroused. They retracted slightly when I stopped. You're turning, lover. I know you don't want it, but we're going to have to find a way to stop this process or you're going to have to commit to it. I don't know what else to say."

"Meshra said I couldn't be turned by you alone, that it would take three vampires because of the fairy blood. Maybe I'll just end up some weird hybrid. As long as I don't have to drink the blood of strangers or animals, I don't think I mind."

"Sookie, that is the blood talking. You do care, and I want you to stop drinking it for at least a week, okay?" He stood, and I watched him go to the shower.

"Can't stop me." I knew that he could hear me, as I could hear him clearly say that he could and would. I joined him in the shower and we dressed for an evening out.

Eric was in a white linen suit with a blue and white striped shirt and dark blue silk tie. I watched him slick his hair back and wondered if it was weird that my husband had better hair products than I did. I pulled on a purple gown and asked him to zip it up for me. He kissed my neck as he zipped it, and I turned around and hugged him.

"You all right, Lover?"

"I just don't think I've ever been so happy in my whole life. I've always worried that I would be all alone. I'm so grateful to you for all that you've given me. I know it's only been about a month, but you have changed my world so much that I'm not the same woman I was. If you don't mind, and I don't think you will, I don't think I can go back to Merlotte's. I think I'd like to go to college."

'That's wonderful. I wish that you would, you would flourish in college, you would meet other young people and it would expose you to a much broader world. Or, we could sell Fangtasia and I could take you around the world and give you a real education."

"Why don't I start with college first, then we'll see what happens from there. I don't want you selling Fangtasia it makes you happy. You said so yourself."

"What do you think you'll study?"

"Maybe art history? I really enjoyed the exhibit Bobby and I saw at the Louvre a couple of weeks ago. Definitely some languages, I will start with Swedish so you can help me, then French and Italian so that I can talk to Fallon, Marius and Meshra and not feel like a tourist."

"No one holds it against you, darling. You're so very young. But you should start with a few Russian phrases so that you can communicate with Natalia and Anton. She buys all the household stuff, so if there is something that you need, you will have to communicate it to her. I'm so proud of you, you've really matured the last month. And just so you know, I'm not trying to stop you from working at Merlotte's if that's what makes you happy, but I know that now that you've seen something different, you can't go back to that life. It's okay when you think your world is this big, but when you realize just how large the world really is, it's hard to settle for less. Not that Sam's place isn't a great place for the people of Bon Temps, but you're a child of the world now, Angel." He slid a watch on and held up the diamond necklace that Meshra had given me. "Won't you wear this tonight? Meshra is right, it looks amazing on you."

I backed into him and let him fasten the clasp around my neck. I stared at myself in the mirror admiring the necklace and what it meant. I had family again. I had a mother again, and Christmas wouldn't be the sad little affair that it had been last year with Jason and me watching Charlie Brown's Christmas special and remembering what it had been like when my parents were alive. Eric had gone up the stairs to meet Bobby, and I grabbed my evening bag and met them on the deck.

"Mrs. Northman, you look magnificent as usual."

"Thank you, Bobby. How has France been treating you these days? Bobby and I used this little expression every time we saw each other. It was our inside joke about being able to go to nice restaurants and go on tours. Bobby and I had developed a good relationship over the last three weeks, and it made Eric happy that he didn't have to fire his daytime guy.

"I've got to tell you, I met up with a woman that I dated in college. She lives here as a photographer for Italian Vogue, she and I have hooked up, so to speak."

"Bobby, that's awesome." As a newlywed, I wanted everyone to fall in love, and I couldn't help looking over at Eric whenever I could sneak a glance at him. I loved seeing my ring on his finger, as much as I'm sure he enjoyed seeing his on me.

Bobby opened the door to a town car, and we climbed in. Eric had made arrangements for us to attend a cocktail party at Grimaldi Palace as guests of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco, and then we were going to the Casino de Monte –Carlo to play roulette and baccarat.

We wound our way through the streets of Monaco and up to the Palace. The streets were cobblestone, and they became so narrow, that in some places, nothing larger than a Citroën would fit. Bobby pulled up to the front of the Palace and we stepped out of the car. Two soldiers escorted us into the Palace and Eric put his arm around my waist.

Guillaume Montrachet came across the foyer and kissed me on both cheeks. He got me a glass of champagne and I watched Eric talking with some of his friends. He introduced me to the Prince, and his Princess Consort, and this time when I curtsied, it was totally appropriate. We laughed and danced together as Eric twirled me around in the marble ballroom. Initially, I was concerned about fitting in because there were so many wealthy humans and vampires mixed in, but no one asked me anything personal, and I didn't volunteer any information; the assumption was, if you were there, you were important. Bobby brought the car around at 9 pm and Eric and I went to the casino.

I'd been in exactly two casinos in my life, and each time, I'd won back the money I'd put in, but never a penny more. When we got inside, the doorman checked our IDs and Eric walked us over to the cashier. He got us a marker, and we headed to one of the roulette tables. Eric had me pick the color and he picked the number. We won a little money, but lost a little too. I pointed to the blackjack table, but I felt really bad about playing blackjack because I could hear the dealer planning his next move. Eric told me that he didn't feel too bad about it, considering how many people they ripped off on a daily basis. I helped Eric win back the money that we'd lost at the roulette table, but nothing more.

I went outside to get some air as Eric dined on a willing donor in the back room. Bobby and I played the slot machines and I won one hundred dollars. I gave it to Bobby as a tip, and thanked him for being so flexible as we toured France. He smiled and said that was his job. He'd talked to Pam recently, and she'd said that the bar was running smoothly, but that she needed a break. I could hardly blame her. I'd run Merlotte's for a week and it had nearly driven me batshit crazy.

Eric came out of the backroom and insisted that we leave. I didn't know why he was in such a hurry suddenly, but I saw a black haired female vamp step out of the back room too.

"Anyone you know?"

"Yes, that is Juliette de Cheval. She is bad, bad news so let's get going. Right Now."

"Did you and she used to date?" I sensed that there was a history between them if Eric was trying so hard to get me out of there.

"No, but it's not because she didn't want me to. She's been passed around among powerful vampires for three centuries. It's fortunate that vampires do not get diseases, she is a repository of far too many men. In fact, Marius has turned her down and he almost never refuses anyone."

I saw Juliette approaching and Eric opened the car door for me. I could hear them talking; general stuff about how long it had been since Eric had been in France, Eric sounded impatient and I decided she needed to know that he wasn't available. I slid out of the other side of the car and stood up.

"Honey, are you coming?"

"Oh, how charming. You packed your lunch. Did Eric tell you? I'm Lady Juliette de Cheval. Pleased to meet you." She pressed herself against Eric and I saw her hand slide down the front of his pants. "You are as big as they claim. I'd love to spend the evening with you. Leave your human friend and come out with me, you're better than that."

"Back off, bitch. He's mine." I started to come around the car and Bobby pulled me back. I think he saw the Louisiana rising up in me and thought he'd better step in. I wasn't going to be held back that easily. I shoved past him and towards Juliette. Eric saw me coming and smirked.

"Juliette, with all due respect, you need to take a step back. I won't be able to protect you from my _wife _and I'm not interested. Have a great evening." He pushed her off of him and slid into the car. I stood my ground for a few moments with Bobby saying "Get in the car," beside me. I slid in beside Eric and Bobby sped us away. We were back on the yacht in fifteen minutes.

"Well, that certainly was interesting." I stared out the window of the living room and Eric took my hand.

"You are badass, my little vampire."

"I'm not putting up with a slut having her hands on you, if that's what you mean."

"She is, what I believe you have called a vampire ho. Do not take her interest in me as mutual. I have never been attracted to desperation." He lifted my chin and I smiled at him. I couldn't be mad at him for someone else's interest in him; he was exceedingly handsome.

"So, tell me about the sunrise. What did you think?" I wanted nothing more than to change the subject.

"I think it was the only thing to rival your beauty that I have ever seen. I felt tingly and warm, then my eyes started to burn a little, so I was afraid that Meshra had been wrong. Gradually, the sun came up and I didn't burn. It was a nice feeling. I now know that I can see the morning with you, or I can spend an early dinner with you. I'm not totally vampire anymore and it's a nice change. After so very long, any change is nice." He poured a glass of _Royalty_ and sipped on it slowly.

I got myself a plate of olives, some pita bread and hummus and sat down in the living room. We had a week together on Marius's yacht. Eric promised me that tomorrow evening, we would go out to sea and swim in the Mediterranean. I thought about our friends back home in Bon Temps, it was nice to not worry that someone was trying to kill us. It was nice to relax on Marius's yacht and just be together.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Over the next week, we talked, and fished and swam in the sea. He helped me cook dinners that he couldn't eat, but I did have him put a slice of pear in his mouth and hold it on his tongue. He said it didn't taste anything like what he remembered, but that he enjoyed the scent. We sat up at night, staring at the stars. He told me about his children and the kind of father that he'd been. There was a tinge of sadness in his voice when he spoke of hearing of their deaths. He had seen his youngest son as an elderly man. Timus sat in the field where Eric's home had been. Timus told the wanderer of a time when he'd been a child and his father had taught him to field dress an ox. Eric had seen the elderly man's grandchildren some years later, but lost track of them as his travels with his vampire family kept him from Sweden.

I recounted for Eric the night I found out that my parents had drowned. I told him of sitting on my little bed in the dark, hearing voices downstairs. Bud Dearborn, not a sheriff then, but a patrol officer telling my Gran she'd better come down to the station. I remembered the light behind Jason's head as it spilled into my darkened room. I told him about seeing their caskets side by side and not being able to cry. At the time, I found it strange that I couldn't cry, in fact, I'd had the impulse to laugh at the sounds of people crying around me. I remembered having a wild moment when I thought I would die too if I couldn't get out of that room. At that instant, Jason took my hand and I saw that he was crying. I couldn't understand why I wasn't more upset. It took a few days, but I had come home from school and my bedroom door was open. I always left my door closed, and something about the door being open when I'd left it closed set me off. I began screaming and raging at my Gran and then I broke down. Something so stupid as a door being left unlatched. Eric nodded, and I knew that he understood.

The next evening, I awoke to a dozen Stackhouse roses on the pillow beside me. I smiled at how thoughtful Eric had been, and I marveled silently at the amount of effort it had taken for someone to send a dozen perfect roses from our home in Louisiana to the South of France. I opened the card and read, "Never alone." I burst into tears, and he came into the bedroom in sweats and a t-shirt. I leapt into his arms and hugged him as hard as I could. He stroked my head and led me to the kitchen where he'd ordered breakfast for me, if it could be called breakfast at 5 in the evening.

Eric played music for me on the stereo. His taste in music was a little surprising, but I could learn to like some of the bands that he played. I told him about being in marching band, and he laughed at me.

"I never saw you as a band geek."

"Well, that's just one thing you didn't know about me. I played flute, so maybe someday, we can have our own concert with you on cello."

We bought music together on the computer, and within minutes we were dancing. I told him that we needed a song, a special song that we could dance to on our anniversaries. He laughed and said he would leave that up to me. We sat on the couch as I went through his iPod looking for songs that I had heard of. I knew from the music at Fangtasia that Eric leaned more towards rock, but some of the bands had angsty names that went beyond rock even.

"Seriously, Eric? The Revolting Cocks?"

"Yes, seriously. They're awesome. You should give them a listen. I promise I'll listen to that country music crap that you listen to."

"Crap? Brooks and Dunn are very talented. How can you have lived in Louisiana for as long as you have and not like country music?"

"Perhaps it is because I hate the complaining. I just have a hard time tolerating it."

"But you can tolerate a band that sings a song called "_Fingerfuck_?"

"Ah, now, Lords of Acid. That's not rock, that's acidhouse."

Eric's cell phone rang for the first time in a couple of days, so I figured Pam was giving him a status update. She'd been calling every third day to check in, but I figured she really wanted him to know that she was impatiently waiting for him to return so that she could take some time off. I wondered if Pam knew that we'd been with Marius, or if she even cared. My cell phone rang too, and my heart jumped. Something inside me knew that something was wrong. Eric looked at me when my heart skipped, and I got up to answer my phone.

I hadn't used my phone for several days, so it was put away in my day purse. I fished it out hoping it wouldn't stop ringing before I got to it, but it did stop ringing. As I scrolled through the caller ID, it rang again. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered right away.

Eric came into the room and he looked as rattled as a vampire is capable of, which means that his eyebrows were knitted together, but that was the extent of it.

"Hello?" I wanted to ask Eric what had upset him, but the young man got my attention.

"Hi, is this Sookie Stackhouse?"

"It's Northman, actually. Who is this, please?"

"This is Pete Reslin, I'm renting your Bon Temps house. I'm calling because your brother Jason is in the hospital, you need to come home."

I didn't have time to shield myself before I heard in his thoughts that Jason had been shot in the back. The bullet nicked his kidney, and he almost died in the ambulance. He coded at the hospital and was in critical condition. No one was sure if he'd live the rest of the day.

I don't remember fainting, but I must have, because I awoke on an airplane in Eric's arms.

"It's not true, tell me it's not." I put my head in his chest and I cried and cried.

"Angel, we're on our way home. I've been in touch with the hospital. Someone will call us if something happens. My cell phone is right here. I gave the hospital my number and they will call us. I'm so sorry, Sookie." He rubbed my back and tried to soothe me, but I was inconsolable. Jason was all that I had left of my natural family.

"What happened, how did he get shot? Where was he?" I couldn't stop thinking that Jason had crossed the wrong husband and gone home with someone who was looking for revenge. Jason had been so careless about the types of women that he dated that it wouldn't be too hard to believe that he'd pissed a few men off.

"He was shot while riding Arkady at Ravenwood. Anton called me and told me that Jason and some of his Habitat friends have been hanging out at the house. Jason went for a ride, and someone shot him in the back." I must have looked horrified because he interrupted me to add, "When Pam rises, I will call her and have her get to the hospital and give him blood. She will be resistant to the idea, but I will order her to. We're going to take care of Jason, Lover. I swear it to you."

"Why is this happening to us? Eric, why would someone try to hurt him? He hasn't done anything to anyone. How would anyone even know that he was at Ravenwood?

"Sookie, Quinn would know, and Quinn is probably out for revenge. I thought for sure that the bounty would keep him away, but I see that he has become even more antagonistic. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I spared his life only because I understood his desire to be with you. I had the same desires and frustrations that you were not mine and mine alone."

"If Quinn did this, then I will kill him myself. I swear it. Losing my Gran was hard enough, I don't want to be alone."

"Sweetheart, have some faith. Look at me, Sookie, look at me, Jason will make it." I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in my hands. I couldn't lose Jason. He and I were just getting to know each other as adults. I felt bad that I hadn't been there for him when he'd lost Crystal and his child. I had never taken him seriously, and now I might lose him. I thought about the way that Jason had cared for me when Eric and I were separated. I hopped off Eric's lap and ran to the bathroom to throw up. Eric followed me. I wretched, and he held my hair.

When I was finished, he ran water over a washcloth and wiped my mouth. I looked up at him and he kissed me gently.

"I'm going to take care of you, Sookie. I swore it on my life. No one is going to hurt you, ever again."

"Eric, I'm so scared. I don't want to live without you or Jason. Eric, if he dies----" I felt my throat lock up.

"Shhh, don't talk like that." He looked away, and I knew what was coming. "Angel, if he is close to death, would Jason want to be turned?"

"I don't know. We never talked about it, but I don't think so."

"Are you sure? Jason would be an excellent vampire."

"But he is a were-panther and he is part fairy. What would that make him? You know what it was like for Jake Purifoy being were-animal and vampire. No one wanted him. The vampires despised him as being two-natured, and the weres hated that he drank blood. Please don't turn Jason." I wouldn't want that for him. But I had to wonder if I was being selfish. Jason deserved to have his life. I hated that someone had harmed him trying to get to me. I would rather someone had come after me if they had a beef with me.

"If he asks it of me, I will give him life, Sookie. I will do this for you because you will second-guess yourself every time you miss him. I never want you to know as much about death, loss and regret as I do. I want you to have a long, happy life with me, and you being orphaned surrounded by immortals will not be good for you. It would be too much pressure."

"Eric, I can't think about this right now. I've got to pray for him. I've got to do something other than sit here in this airplane wondering if at any moment, my brother is going to die. It's not right and it's not fair." I began sobbing. "I've got to get home. I want to go home. I want to go home." I felt myself becoming hysterical and Eric made a choked sound; my grief was overwhelming to him. I slipped down into a seat hoping, wishing that at any moment we would be landing in Shreveport, but knowing that we had hours yet to travel. I felt myself being lifted up and Eric had his arms around me, whispering in my ear that everything would be okay and that he would take care of me. I had my head on his shoulder as I cried. He held me as we sat on the sofa in the back; Bobby sat in the front of the plane trying to stay out of our way.

Margie came to our side from the front of the airplane. She poured a ginger ale into a glass and she handed the glass to Eric. He placed me in the seat next to his and suggested that I drink it. I didn't much feel like a drink, but I had been sick, so I took it. I sipped it slowly and Margie nodded to Eric. He looked down at me and tilted the glass upwards to get me to finish it. I swallowed the last of it and tasted something bitter and gritty. I looked at him, and realized that Eric had drugged me.

"Honey, was there something in my soda?"

"It is for your own good, you need the rest."

"How could you drug me? I need to be alert to help Jason if he needs me."

"You need to not spend the next eight hours hysterical. I want you to sleep, I will hold you and keep you safe and you will be rested when we get home."

I was too scared and tired to be mad at him. Besides, he was right, I would go out of my mind if I had to sit still for eight more hours thinking about everything that could be happening to Jason. Eric meant well, and though he often made decisions without consulting me, none of them had ever caused me any harm. I had to learn to trust him. "Thank you for taking care of me, baby. I love you so much." I lay across his lap and lifted my legs up onto the seat. He turned me onto my back and stroked my cheek with his hand. I felt five years old as I watched him intently.

"My Angel, I love you too. You sleep. Do not cry any more. Sleep." He bent down and kissed each of my cheeks. I closed my eyes and yawned.

"What will I do when you have to sleep?"

"We are flying back through our night and into what will be their night when we arrive, I will not have to sleep at all during this trip. Do not worry about me, sleep."

I felt a blanket being pulled up around me. As I drifted to sleep, my thousand year old husband softly sang to me in Swedish.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I opened my eyes but didn't move right away. I was still in Eric's arms, but this time, I was someplace hushed and very dark. Eric was having down time, and he stared out, completely motionless. In the absence of light, I marveled that I could see better than I could ever see before. I studied his features, the tiny hairs on his chin, the strong set of his jaw, his ice blue eyes.

I blinked, and he realized that I was awake because very slowly, as I've seen with praying mantises, he turned his head and re-animated. It was both scary and amazing. I didn't want to think beyond this moment because I could tell by the look in his eyes that something was not right.

I suddenly remembered the smell. It was disinfectant, and death and blood and fear, and relief and happiness. A hospital is overwhelming to those sensitive to emotions carried by scent.

"He's gone. Isn't he?" I said it out loud more to myself than to Eric. I could make out Jason's body on the bed in front of us. I reached out with my mind and sensed nothing. I tried to stand. My legs tingled and shook. The curtains were drawn, and the sheet was pulled up over his head. Eric was beside me then. He slid his arm around my waist and held me to him. I looked up at him, and he nodded. He was telling me without words that it was okay to look because I didn't have the courage to do it.

I pulled the sheet back slowly, afraid that he would sit up and scare me, but afraid that he wouldn't. I took Jason's cold hand and rubbed it between mine trying to heat him up. I had seen Eric like this not long ago and it was hard to breathe. I stared at his beautiful face. The nurses had washed him, and combed his hair, but he was a shell. I kissed his cheek and smelled something strange about his body. I sniffed lightly, but Eric noticed.

"That is what it smells like, death. It is not as unpleasant as humans think."

"This should be me, not him."

"What good would that serve?"

"He was innocent."

"No one is innocent, Sookie."

"He didn't deserve to die like this."

I remembered standing at the graveside of my Gran. I'd stared at the lowering device, and couldn't imagine being in a box, lowered into the earth with the weight of all of humanity pressing down on you. With those you love and who love you weeping precious, wasted tears into the grass. I felt my heart swell, and I couldn't contain the sob that tore from my throat. I bent over him and screamed into his shoulder. I screamed for his lost beauty, for my brother, for myself. I screamed until I felt myself pressed into Eric's chest. He pulled me into his arms, and crushed me to him. I felt my knees give way, and he fell to the floor with me.

"Eric, I need to get out of here. Take me out of here, please."

" We're going, right now, love." He lifted me to my feet and led me to the door. I turned back to see Jason once more. I swore to him that I would find Quinn and kill him. I promised him that I would do it myself, for justice….for Jason.

We went out into the hall. My screaming must have attracted attention because a nurse was waiting for us in the hall. She had pamphlets about grief counseling clutched to her chest. She was staring at Eric with a horrified look on her face. I realized that he had two drying streaks of blood on his cheeks. I yelled at her to mind her own goddamned business and she threw the pamphlets onto the floor at my feet. Eric led me into the women's room and lifted me up onto the counter.

He took a paper towel from the dispenser and wet it. I didn't care if he had dried blood on his cheeks, but he wiped my face. As he pulled the paper towel away, I noticed that the towel came away pink. I turned to see myself in the mirror and saw that my eyes were red lined and bloodshot. I gasped and turned back to look at him. He brushed my hair back, and kissed the tip of my nose. I looked down at the tiled floor as he washed his own face. I hated that we were made to feel ashamed of what we were to each other around these humans, because as disapproving as vampires were about mixed marriages, Southern humans were ten times worse. Being a fang-banger was one thing; being married to one was unacceptable.

As we approached the exit, I saw a sign that said chapel. I looked up at Eric, and again he silently communicated that he was following my lead. I pushed the heavy door open and saw thirty or so candles flickering on risers. There was a man kneeling to the right of the candles, and a young couple crossing themselves on the left. Eric stood in the doorway a moment. I had a fleeting thought that he had probably not been in a church in some time. I walked slowly up to the altar and clasped my hands. Eric approached the altar and dropped several bills into the offering. He lit two candles as I prayed silently. When he blew the match out. I took his hand and kissed it. He held me as I prayed for Jason.

I felt a timid mind approaching us and Eric and I both turned. A security officer accompanied the hospital chaplain. I caught a snatch of what he was thinking, but was confused.

"Is something wrong?" I thought for a split second that he was coming to tell me that there had been some kind of misunderstanding, that Jason was not dead after all.

"You two cannot be in here. I'm going to have to ask you to go. I hope that you won't make any trouble." The chaplain stared at Eric as he said this. Eric smirked and I stepped towards him.

"Are you serious? My brother just died, and I want to say a prayer for him and you're going to ask us to leave because of what? Because the man that I love is a vampire?"

"He is an unrepentant murderer who feeds on the destruction of others. And from the looks of it, so are you. We have had to tolerate a lot from you creatures the last few years, but we will not have you defiling our church with your unholy filth."

Eric stepped into his face and I pulled Eric away from him. The security guard was reaching for his radio and Eric took it from him and smashed it against the wall.

"Your Christianity teaches tolerance, yet you are the least tolerant of all the humans. You would turn away a young woman who has lost her remaining relative to ease your own discomfort. You misbegotten son of a whore." Eric pulled at me to leave, but I went back to the offering and took Eric's money back. I pushed past him and Eric and I strode through the lobby and out the front door.

"Welcome back to America, Sookie." Eric couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice and I shook my head. A young woman ran out the door towards us, and Eric's fangs ran out. I reached up to feel my teeth, as I'd felt an urgent pressure in my mouth as we were talking to the chaplain. My teeth were not quite fangs, but to the average human, I was something to be feared.

She held her hands up, defensively and I relaxed a little. Eric, however, was still on alert. She seemed to be agitating him, and I watched him back away from her.

"Hi, I'm Allison. Allison Humphrey. I'm sorry to bother you, I know this isn't a good time for you, but I work here and I saw what happened. I wanted to give you some information. I'm sorry about Father Franklin, he's old, and not everyone here feels that way." She wound her hands in the folds of her skirt and I could hear that she was trying to say everything in a rush just to get everything out. Eric was frightening her.

"We're the Northmans. This is Eric, I'm Sookie." I was still getting used to my new name, but it came out confidently and smoothly.

"There is a church about half a block down that caters to vampires, and companions. It's in a brick building at 400 West Mayfield. I'm so sorry for your loss."

I nodded, "Thank you, Allison." I shook her hand and she regarded me as if she found me fascinating. I assumed that the glow that I'd always attributed to vampires was becoming more pronounced in me as well. She smiled and patted my arm.

Eric called Bobby as we approached a taxi at a stand near the hospital doors. As I slept on the airplane, the hospital had called and informed Eric that Jason had died at 10:27 pm local time. We'd landed around 1 am and it was now 4:54. Eric had sent Bobby back to Ravenwood with our bags and asked him to make sure that arrangements were made for Jason and that I was not to be disturbed.

I sat in the back of the taxi staring out at the streetlights. I had imagined that my return to Louisiana would be joyous, and that I would rush home and wake Jason to show him the wonderful gifts that I'd purchased for him in Paris. Fresh tears sprang to my eyes, and Eric handed me a tissue. The taxi driver made eye contact with me in the rearview mirror then. He thought that I was a pretty girl, that Eric was lucky. That it was too bad that I'd lost my brother. That it was a shame when young people died. That it was the way life was. That it was almost daybreak. That it was near breakfast time. That he would have a cinnamon roll. That he had a coupon for a coffee to go with it. That he needed to lose weight. That April was after him about his weight. That April had reminded him to stop for toilet paper on the way home. I'd let myself slip into his mind and let go, it was easier than keeping myself shielded.

Eric sensed that I'd retreated into myself or some other place, and he tilted my head to face him. "Stay with me, Sookie." I was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The grief. It's a form of madness. I mean for you to stay with me, don't give in to it."

I nodded and focused on our clasped hands. His fingers were long and his nails were shiny. I looked at my own tiny hand. He turned my hand over and traced the lines on my palm. He kissed my palm and I smiled at him. I suddenly realized all the people that I would need to contact to let them know that Jason had….

"Baby, does Pam know?" It had occurred to me that Pam and Jason had been on a few dates and they seemed to be hitting it off. I didn't know if Eric had called her while I was sleeping.

"She was with him when he passed. I didn't want to upset you that we weren't able to get home in time."

"I'm just glad he was with someone who cared about him. I didn't want him to die alone."

"No, Bobby contacted Pam as soon as she woke for the evening and she rushed to St. Boniface. He did not die alone. She said that he was very peaceful and quiet and that she held his hand and stroked his head as she would expect that you would have done."

Every time I thought I had Pam figured out, she would surprise me with something so human. But I would not have been surprised to find that Eric had ordered her to.

We pulled up to the house, and the taxi driver let out a low whistle. Eric paid him, and from the way that he said thank you, Eric must have tipped him handsomely. I stepped out of the taxi and stared up at our home. It had been over a month since we'd been here and the flowers that had been simple buds in early May were stately blossoms. Jason would never get to see these again.

Eric and I walked up the stairs and into the house. I had never been so glad to take off my shoes as I was at that moment. I realized that I'd last showered in France. We went up the stairs, and Eric followed me into the bathroom as I showered and brushed my teeth. I looked at my canine teeth in the mirror, and wondered about what other changes I could expect. I yawned, and Eric led me to our bed. Our room was darker than it should be for dawn and I noticed that the windows were covered.

"You had the windows done like at Meshra's and the hospital."

"I can stay in bed with you now, instead of my sleeping space."

"Why didn't you have the windows done before?"

"Because I was vulnerable to anyone who would break in or worse. With you here, I am safe."

"You trust me that much?"

"And more." He slid pajama pants on and climbed into bed. I slid in, naked beside him and he looked at me.

"I need you tonight, Eric. I need to know that I'm still alive, and that it's all going to be okay."

"I understand better than you know."

I rolled over and had my way with him. Eric sensed my urgent need, and rolled me over. As I reached my climax, I sank my new fangs into Eric's shoulder and drank deeply. He shuddered as he came.

"Sookie, you have to stop. That's enough, lover."

I continued drinking, not caring if I died, wanting to die. His blood was so sweet. I felt myself drifting into a blissful state. I felt myself shimmering from my soul and out to the hairs on my skin. I felt my insides vibrating, as if I was an electrical being. It was as if I'd put my finger in a socket. I heard myself moaning and I pulled harder, trying to get more of his blood into me. The more I swallowed, the more I vibrated. I felt myself coming again, and I clutched at his back. Eric tried to fend me off, but I held on.

"Sookie, enough. That's enough." He pulled himself off of me and held me down. "I said, STOP."

"Eric, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop. I'm sorry." He got up and took his phone out of his pants pocket. He pressed the number 4 on his phone and waited. Four was Marius's speed dial.

I was so ashamed that I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. I heard Eric telling Marius's voicemail that I was turning, and that it was happening fast. I didn't want to be turned. I had told Eric that I didn't want to be turned, but it wasn't his fault that I had come this far.

I thought about Jason, who would be in the ground within days. I didn't want to be in the ground, and I didn't want to have to murder people just to live. I heard Eric in the next room.

"Meshra, it's me. I need your help, Sookie is turning and it's happening fast. I know that you told her that I couldn't turn her by myself, but something is not right. I don't know what to do for her. She doesn't want to be turned, but she's pretty far gone. Please call me when you get this message. I love you, bye." He knocked on the bathroom door, but I didn't answer it. "Sookie, I wasn't mad. I was trying to get your attention. I know you couldn't help yourself, Angel. That's what it is like for us. Do not be angry with yourself. Please let me in, I have to sleep soon and I want to hold you."

I unlocked the door and we sat on the bed together.

"Sookie, you may have to decide sooner, rather than later whether or not you want to be a vampire. You may have already crossed a line that we can't get you back from. I would hate to see you stuck in between. I'm not trying to pressure you, but it's becoming impossible for you to make a rational decision. I'm going to have to intervene for you. You have never expressed to me that you want to be turned. You have only told me that you do not wish to be turned. I'm going to honor your request." He was resolute, but I was mortified. I couldn't believe the surge that had come over me. I had never been so compelled in my life. "I will think about it, but for now, maybe we should hold off on sex."

"God, I was afraid it would come to that." He went into our dressing room and came out with a nightgown, a pill and a glass of water. "Here, lover. Why don't you get some sleep?"

I took the pill from him and the glass of water. I put it on my tongue and pretended to swallow. When he began drawing the draperies to close us in our bed, I slipped the pill behind the headboard and onto the floor. I drank the whole glass of water, ensuring that I would have to get up to pee before he would wake for the evening. I slipped my nightgown on and pulled the blankets up. Eric climbed in beside me. I was going to find out who did this to Jason if it killed me.

"Are you all right?" He looked down at me, and I could feel him scanning me emotionally; it was a soft buzzing in my head. The buzzing was new, as a result of Meshra's blood. I'd traded a bit of emotional privacy to save his life. It seemed like a small thing at first that might be a liability if I ever wanted to hide anything from him.

"I'm as all right as I can be given the fact that my brother was murdered by my ex-boyfriend."

"You are extremely agitated suddenly. What's going on, Sookie?"

"Nothing, Eric. Let's just get to bed." I snuggled down into the sheets as if I was really settling in. I worked on slowing my breathing so that he would not realize that I had no intention of going to bed. He was eyeing me cautiously and I smiled as sweetly as I could. I didn't have to pretend to seem hurt, I was aching inside, but I had to get away from him if I was going to find Quinn.

"Sookie, have you ever lied to me?" He was suddenly suspicious and I wondered what I was doing that was triggering it.

"Not intentionally." I had fudged things a few times, as anyone had, but I hadn't ever flat out lied to him that I could recall.

"I feel as if there is something going on with you that I would be upset to hear and that you are keeping it from me."

"No, Love, go on to sleep. I'm going to sleep." I yawned for effect, but he didn't seem to be buying it for a minute.

"Sookie, now, you've got me worried." He sat up and I closed my eyes as if I could hardly keep them open. "I'm serious here. What are you doing?"

"Eric, honey, I'm going to bed. Why are you being like this. Go on to bed. I'll hold you." I didn't know what I was doing that was causing him to be so suspicious, but I had to wait him out. He would fall asleep any minute and I could slip out of the bed and find Quinn. I would relish making him suffer for what he'd done to Eric and now Jason.

"Sookie, you are in turmoil and it has nothing to do with Jason. I can feel it. You are plotting something. Are you waiting for me to fall asleep so that you can sneak off?"

I tried to express shock that he would suggest such a thing, but I'm not sure my facial expression matched what I was saying. He laid on top of me and held me down.

"Angel, are you going off on your own to find Quinn? Is that what you're doing?"

"Eric, I need to sleep, you said so yourself and whatever you gave me is kicking in, so just lie down and relax."

"You're being evasive." I felt his grip on me loosen and I was able to get him on his back. "Please, Sookie. Don't go after him alone. I mean it. You don't know your own strength, I really had to fight you to get you off of me. You are dangerous right now and you may kill someone without meaning to. I don't want to wake up and find that you're gone. I will be so angry with you."

"Eric, you rest. You're exhausted. You've been up longer than you should have already. Rest baby." I rubbed his head and kissed him softly. If I kept it up, he'd be asleep within minutes.

"Please don't do this, Please?" I could tell that he was fighting sleep. His eyes began to close and he was struggling to see me. "Sookie….if you love me….don't go, I can't protect you…. You're a danger to yourself…Stay with me….Let me catch Quinn…Sookie?"

"Eric, I'm sorry. I have to do this. I love you so much." I kissed his cheeks and stared at him for a minute longer. I didn't know when I'd see him again, Quinn could be hiding anywhere.

"Don't….leave….me…."

I looked down at him and knew that he was completely asleep. I remembered having to wake him at the hotel in Rhodes, and how much trouble I'd had. There was no way that he'd be able to rouse now, not after having flown through what should have been a sleep cycle. The time zones had screwed us both up, but thank God vampires required rest just like humans. He would sleep much later than 5:30 and I would have time to get somewhere where I could set up a base to work from.

I couldn't leave him exposed on the bed. I pulled the access door down on the panel under our bed. Even with his blood, I would have a bit of a struggle to get his two-hundred plus pounds off the bed and under it. I slid his feet down to the floor, leaving his torso on the bed. I giggled to myself thinking of the game we would play at school, "Light as a feather, stiff as a board." I said it out loud, and pulled the blankets off our bed as I pulled him. I cradled his head as I lowered the top half of his body onto the floor.

I couldn't just roll him into his sleeping space, there was a drop. I admonished myself for not planning this better. I laid on top of him and rolled over to his left to get into his sleeping space. Once I was down in his nook, I had limited range of motion, so I had to work in tiny movements. I pulled his shoulders towards me to get him inside; it was like pulling a tank. I groaned and pushed against the wall with my feet to gain some leverage. I felt him slide towards me, and once he was on the edge of the slight drop, I used gravity to help get his upper body inside. If someone had been standing in our room, it would look as if our bed was swallowing him up.

I collapsed under his weight and struggled to catch my breath. It would have been so easy to give up and just stay there under him until he woke up and yelled at me. But I had work to do and a limited amount of time to do it. I got a burst of energy thinking about plucking Quinn's other eye right before I shot him. Or maybe I would stab him up close and personal. I gave Eric another sharp tug and at last, I had his legs inside. I was covered in sweat, and I felt my hair sticking to my forehead. I tried to arrange him into a comfortable sleeping position and I put a pillow under his head. I kissed his stone lips and whispered that I loved him again.

"Don't….leave-----"

I rolled over him, as there was no space for me to get by. I felt his hand grab my nightgown as I tried to scoot towards the little step up. I slid out of it and emerged from under our bed naked. I was glad that no one had witnessed the strange events that occurred in our bedroom that morning. I shut the door to his sleeping space and ran for the shower. I scrubbed, rinsed and dried myself in ten minutes. I needed to find Quinn and the only place I knew to start was with his boss, Félipe de Castro.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

As I dressed, I searched the dressing room for the purse that I'd been using when Eric was in the hospital. I pulled out the sliding rack of purses that hung on my side of the room. Before Eric and I were together, I generally only had one purse. I'd recently acquired ten more, and the straps tangled together as I hurried through the jumble to find my Vera Bradley bag. I dug through the pockets blindly, hoping to feel the cold metal of de Castro's calling card. I pulled a stack of same-sized cards out of the pocket and began flipping through them. I didn't have time to be neat. I hoped Natalia would not be mad at me that I'd made a mess of the room. I threw my library card onto the floor, followed by my Rent-A-Reel video store card. There was a discount card at Burrito Mike's and finally, the gold card embossed with Félipe de Castro, International Imports and Exports.

If my luck was holding out, de Castro was in Nevada, and would be two hours behind us. I threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and threw a change of clothes into a backpack that I'd gotten for carrying around France. I grabbed my cell phone and flipped it open. It was 7:30, which meant that de Castro wouldn't be awake much longer.

I punched the number in as I looked around our bedroom. Eric would be furious with me, but I had to do this for Jason. I closed the door, and ran down the stairs. I would grab a banana, avoiding a lengthy, translation-challenged conversation with Natalia about our honeymoon. The line rang as I ran through the kitchen. Victor Madden answered on the second ring.

"Mrs. Northman, I understand that congratulations are in order, best wishes from Area 19"

"Thank you, Victor. That's very nice of you. I don't mean to seem rude or pushy, but is there any chance that I could speak to Mr. de Castro before he retires for the evening?" I threw a yogurt into a bag as well as a bag of almonds. I took two bottles of water. I heard him quietly consulting with de Castro in the background and was grateful to Eric once again for his blood donation.

"Mr. de Castro is available to take your call. Here he is now."

"Hello, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Mr. de Castro, sir, I'm sorry to call in a favor, but you promised Eric and I'm hoping that as a man of your word that you won't mind just giving me a tiny bit of information."

"That certainly does depend on what it is that you need. How is Eric by the way? I'd heard that you two were in Europe. Such a speedy recovery is unheard of. Your husband is the talk of all the vampire circles. There's been some idle chatter that he is back in contact with our Reverent Mother, the vampire Mahesh-Ra. So tell me, how did Eric recover so quickly?" Something about the way he asked me made me uncomfortable, and I didn't think it would be wise to discuss Meshra. I realized that if everyone knew what her blood was capable of, it would paint a big red and white target on her back and she would have to change everything about the way she lived her life. I didn't want to be responsible for that.

"Eric is pretty resilient. He's a fighter, that guy. Not to mention your generous donation of blood. After he received your blood, he was much stronger, so thank you for that." I bit my lip because I didn't make a habit of lying. He chuckled a bit at the flattery and asked what I needed. "I need to know how to contact the were-tiger Quinn."

"You realize that there is a two-million dollar bounty on the head of one of my loyal and faithful subjects. If I tell you, your husband will kill him and I'll be out of a tremendous source of income." These vamps were industrious and never passed up the chance to make a profit.

"I won't be telling Eric that I've had contact with Quinn, but if something should happen to Quinn where he is no longer able to perform services for you, I will turn the two-million dollars over to you. I swear that on my honor." I had no business giving Eric's money away, but I was desperate.

"As a waitress, I'm sure that you have an excellent memory, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I do." I never thought a king would acknowledge that there was a benefit to being a waitress, but I'd found the only one.

"I do not want you to write this down, as you will not only compromise Quinn, but a few other creatures who are being protected. I have your word?"

"Yes, I swear it on my life."

"Don't worry, it will be." He paused and then laughed for a moment. "By the way, I didn't give Eric any blood. But you're a clever girl and I like that." He seemed satisfied with my sincerity and he told me the ten-digit phone number where I could reach Quinn. The prefix was a neighboring city in Texas. I could be there in two hours if I got going. I thanked the king, and shut my phone. I spotted the knife rack on my way out of the kitchen. I grabbed one of the Henkels and wrapped it in a dishtowel. No sense cutting up a good bag. I slid the knife into my pack and arranged the rest of the knives so that it wasn't obvious that a big knife was missing.

Ravenwood was surprisingly quiet this morning, and I didn't see Anton or Ollie. I walked across the field to the garage and called out.

"Hello? Ollie? I was glad that no one responded. Eric had told Bobby that I was not to be disturbed, so I wondered if he'd given everyone the day off. I checked to see if the keys to the cars were hanging nearby. I looked in Ollie's office and saw that he was a very neat and tidy man. There were pliers, and screwdrivers hanging on racks along with an assortment of wrenches. I pulled the drawers open looking for keys, but found a roll of duct tape instead. I found a length of coaxial cable that I could use as a makeshift rope. I grabbed some shop rags and a can of gasoline. I didn't really have any plans for these things, but they could certainly come in handy. I shoved what I could into my bag, and took the gas can. I found a lighter and tucked that into the pocket of my jeans. I still hadn't found any of the car keys. The only keys that I had on me were the keys to my car. I couldn't take my Mercedes, I'd let Jason borrow it while we were in Europe, and would be recognizable to anyone who had been following him. I leaned into the driver's window of Eric's Enzo. All the keys were in each vehicle's, ignition. I remembered that Ollie had said that hardly anyone even knew what a Spyker was. If I was seen leaving the scene, no one would be able to identify the car I drove away in. The downside to that theory was that the car was so rare, it would be a short list of suspects with Eric right at the top. Except he was vampire and couldn't be out during the day. We could always claim the car was stolen while we were honeymooning.

When I'd satisfied myself with that answer, I climbed into Eric's Spyker and drove down the driveway. I paused at the gate and looked out the rearview mirror. My life would be dramatically different when I returned. I sat and looked at the house for a minute. I thought about turning back and waiting until Eric could help me, but this was my fight. I punched the gate code and screeched down Ravenwood Lane. I was on highway 20 heading west in a few short minutes.

I wasn't sure if Quinn would answer the phone if the caller ID displayed my name, so I pressed *67, then dialed the number. I heard it ring in the car speakers, and I got myself ready to deliver the speech of my life. I thought of Meshra luring Appius into her home so that she could kill him after he killed Titus. Quinn was a sucker for sex and it was the only weapon I had. I hated that I'd have to be unfaithful to Eric, but I knew that he would understand. Then Quinn answered.

"Hello?" His voice was ragged, as if I'd caught him asleep. I didn't respond right away. When he said hello a second time, I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Quinn, it's Sookie." I didn't think about what I was doing, I was on autopilot. I hadn't prepared what I would do in case he hung up, or I couldn't get through. He didn't hang up, he just sat listening quietly as I lied and lied and told him that I was dissatisfied by Eric's cold clammy touch and that I feared that I'd made a mistake marrying him. I told Quinn that I missed his heat, and his animal strength. I told him that I would take Eric's money and move to Memphis with him. He perked up at this opportunity to punish Eric by robbing him and taking his wife. He asked me why he should believe me, since this could be a trap, but I assured him that if it had been a trap, wouldn't someone already be there to capture him. Not to mention the fact that the vamps couldn't be out in daylight. I told him that I could come to him, that I needed a real man inside me. He seemed genuinely eager. He gave me his address, and I told him I'd be there soon. I hung up, pulled the car over, and threw up my yogurt.

I knew that Quinn was on to me as soon as I hung up the phone. There was no way that he was that stupid. But I didn't have anything else that he wanted. I was going to have to catch him off guard. He would be expecting me to come from Shreveport, which was two hours away, but I had waited to call him until I was within the city limits. When he gave me the address, I plugged it in to the GPS and knew that the trip was only 10 minutes from where I was parked. He was going to be expecting me to try to seduce him, but I was going to kill him right off the bat. The thought of avenging Jason thrilled me and I felt myself vibrating as I had earlier when I'd taken Eric's blood. I'd been having internal tremors since I'd taken that last swallow. I knew that I was doing irreversible damage to my body, I just didn't know the extent.

I climbed back in the car preparing to pull back into my lane and I saw a spectrum of colors surrounding every object that I tried to focus on. It was as if my blue car was super blue and the yellow lane paint was super yellow. I pulled out, and a car swerved into my lane. I averted the car, but realized that my reflexes were amazingly quick. Everything I knew about vampires was happening to me. I wondered about the yogurt that I'd eaten. I ate the banana to test my theory. I chewed slowly, wondering if something would happen to my sense of taste. Nothing unusual happened when I swallowed, so I finished it and put the peel back in my bag.

I heard a strange thumping sound as I revved the engine. I was concerned that I'd run over something, or that maybe a tire was flat or had a bulge. I slowed to 55, the thump remained. I sped up to 70 and the thump was steady and regular. I got off at the Robinson Ave. Exit and drove the six miles to the street that Quinn told me to look for.

I pulled up to the curb five houses down from the address and watched the house. There didn't seem to be much movement on this street. It was a residential street with no cars in the driveway, which meant that there probably weren't going to be many witnesses if Quinn decided to start screaming. If I'd had more time to work this plan, I would have started by renting an apartment nearby. I would buy a dog and start walking it on this street. Alternating dog walking with jogging every day at the same time. That would make me part of the background noise of this street. Then I would strike, leaving Quinn dead. I'd continue my route for a few days, then I would disappear into the woodwork. But I didn't have a month to wait.

The car was idling, but the thump was still present. I turned the car off and the thump was louder. As I listened, I realized that I had been hearing my heartbeat. It was slow and steady, which concerned me because my heart rate should have been off the charts, I was about to kill a guy on purpose. I thought about staring into Quinn's good eye and slitting his throat for Jason. I felt pressure in my mouth again, and looked up into the rearview mirror. My teeth were smaller, but no less dangerous replicas of Eric's. I had fangs. They retracted a little when I noticed them, but I concentrated on harnessing my anger towards Quinn and they came out with a soft, but fast click. I wondered if the effects were permanent since I hadn't really been turned. I would have to go to ground for that according to Meshra, but I wasn't sure I was following anybody's real guidelines at this point.

I climbed out of the car, and walked purposefully to the backyard of the house I was parked in front of. It would be easier to sneak up from the side of the house, rather than the backyard. Everyone looked at either the front door, or the back door when looking for trouble. No one went to the side windows. I ran up along side of the house, and found the phone line. With a quick tug, I pulled the cable away from the staples securing it to the house. I pulled the pliers from my bag and clipped the wires. I knew that someone would probably have a cell phone, but it would slow someone down, as the fire department would have to trace the call differently than if it had been a hard line.

The king had unintentionally warned me that there were other beings present in the house, so it wasn't going to be as simple as waltzing in and waltzing out. I was going to have to lure them out of the house somehow to catch a tiger. I reached out mentally and determined that there were three other people in the house I went back to my car and got the gas can. I couldn't set the house on fire, I needed the cover of the house to kill Quinn. I went to the back of the garage of the house Quinn was in and pulled the shop rags out of my backpack. Gasoline burned off quickly and would likely burn off before doing any real damage. Gas was just an accelerant. I needed something combustible. I wrapped my hand with shop rags and smashed the side window of the garage. I dumped a pile of rags into the garage and poured gasoline on the pile. I put the lid back on, taking great care not to get any of the gas on myself. I waited a few minutes for the fumes to build up in the garage. While I waited, I took the dishtowel from my bag and lit one end. I dropped it onto the pile of shop rags and heard a whoomph sound as the rags caught.

I carried the gas can, put my pack on and ran to the opposite side of the house hoping someone other than Quinn discovered the fire. I waited patiently for the fire to grow. It was a roar of crackling and tinkling glass as the windows shot out. if a neighbor saw the smoke and reported it, all this would be for nothing. I took a chance and ran to the front door and yelled Fire! Fire! In a deep voice that didn't sound a thing like me. I ran back to the side of the house and watched as two women and a teenaged boy ran out to the yard. I looked in the window and saw that it was a small utility room. I smashed the window in hoping the sound was masked by the sound of glass breaking in the garage. I unzipped my bag a little in case I had to get the knife out fast and climbed in. It was dim, as most utility rooms are. I crept through the kitchen and saw Quinn just 15 feet from where I stood.

I slid the knife out of my pack quietly. He was punching numbers into his cell phone to call for help. I moved more silently than I ever thought possible. I lifted the knife to plunge into his back but he whipped around and grabbed my wrist. I heard a snapping sound and watched my hand flop over uselessly as I dropped the knife.

"You thought it would be that easy? You thought I wasn't ready for someone to come in here? Stupid Bitch. As if I would still want you."

"Fuck you, you murderer. You killed Jason and I'm going to kill you."

"I didn't kill Jason, but I'm sorry to hear that he's dead."

"You're a lousy liar, Quinn. You went after Eric and you couldn't kill him, so you had to go after someone weaker than you. You're garbage and I'm glad I didn't stay with you." My wrist was throbbing and I was nauseous from the pain.

"So that dead motherfucker sends his little slut wife to do a man's job, 'cause he's too much of a bitch to finish me himself?"

"No, I came to find you myself because I owe you. You messed with the wrong girl."

"What are you going to do? Scratch my other eye out, I'll snap your fucking neck and leave your ass in the woods."

"Try it and see what happens to you. You talk so much shit, let's see it." He rushed towards me and I moved vampire fast suddenly. I didn't know that I could move so quickly. Neither did Quinn. He reached for me and fell towards the wall. I came up behind him and pushed him into the wall.

"What the hell are you?"

"I'm the bitch who's going to hand you your ass. You fucked with the wrong girl." I felt the pressure in my mouth again, and knew that my teeth were becoming fangs. I had a strong urge to sink my teeth into his neck. His carotid artery was pulsing and it was all I could think about. I saw it pulsing and could hear the blood moving in his veins. He was angry and I could smell his fear and anger, thick and muddy in the room. My wrist was already healing and it was a dull throb now.

Quinn stumbled toward me, swatting with one arm. He'd banged his left arm against the wall as he'd fallen into it. I averted his grasp and tried to grab the knife. He kicked me over and I fell onto the linoleum. I felt the air leave my lungs and I couldn't breathe for a second. I sucked air in deeply and heard myself sputter and cough. He kicked my ribs in and I heard a slight snap. I balled up to shield myself from his kicks. I tried to turn so that most of his blows would hit my backpack instead of my stomach. He drew back to kick me again and I rolled over, grabbing his right leg and pulled it out from under him. He crashed to the floor with a loud thud and I rushed towards him. He tried to get up and I scrambled for the knife. He threw himself at me and pinned me to the floor on my stomach.

My cheek was pressed into the floor and he put his hands around my throat. I pushed to get up, but he sat on my back. I was pinned. I saw the room growing dim and knew that I would pass out soon if I couldn't get him off of me. I kicked my legs underneath him and felt his weight shift. I'd managed to get him off of me, and I moved quickly to get to my feet. I'd surprised us both with my strength, and I knew that I had to kill him if I was going to survive this fight. I rushed towards him, with my hands curved into claws, as I'd seen Eric and many other vamps when they were threatened.

Quinn began to change before me. I saw his fingers stretch into claws and his clothes fell away into a pile. He knelt to the floor and his back elongated into the curved spine of a tiger. There was a wild smell in the room suddenly, and he relieved himself in a defensive posture. I got the knife and swiped at him. He pounced on me and tried to sink his fangs into my neck. The knife flew out of my hand, and I had a moment of terror. He would tear my throat out if I wasn't careful. I threw my hands up to protect myself and punched him in the sides. He bit at my face, but I dug my fingers into his ruined eye socket. He retreated suddenly with a roar and I took advantage of his moment of weakness to recover myself. I spotted the knife under the kitchen table and darted under the table for the knife. He was too large to fit under the table. His tail thumped against the wall impatiently as I slid between the chairs and climbed up onto the island. He stood on his hind legs and I thrust the knife between his ribs into the soft white fur of his chest. He growled in pain and fell away from me. He shifted back to human and I was on him.

"That's for Jason Stackhouse, you murderer." I smelled blood and my fangs slipped into place, I began drinking. I hadn't realized that as I formulated the thought, my body responded vampire fast. He stared up at me in horror with one badly stitched eye-hole and one pansy purple eye widened by terror and surprise. He'd survived three years in a vampire's cage fights to be taken down by a waitress from backwater Louisiana. I was trembling with rage and desire to taste the blood that was spurting from his chest. My right hand was shiny and wet with blood. He stared at me with curiosity and horror.

"I'm not a murderer. What are you doing, what the hell are you?"

"You killed Jason and you know it. You couldn't have me, so you came after Eric and you killed my brother. Now you're going to die. Whose the bitch ass now?" I sank my teeth into the side of his neck again, and felt his heart pumping blood up into my mouth. It was so different from drinking from Eric, I didn't have to work at it at all. I just held on, and the warmth spread through me. I was filled with a radiance that came from my chest. I felt my stomach filling with blood and he thrashed beneath me. I was able to hold him in place because he was injured, but he kept thrashing.

"Sookie, listen to me, carefully. I didn't kill Jason. I swear it on my mother's life. On my sister's life. I didn't do it." He wasn't fighting as hard as he had been initially, and I knew that I was weakening him. "Sookie, stop. I swear, I won't tell anyone you were here if you stop. I don't want to die, Sookie, I didn't kill Jason, but I know who did."

I felt my fangs retract and I dropped him. I didn't know what he could mean that he knew who had. I kicked him onto his back and told him to start talking.

"A guy was waiting on your porch the night that you went to that benefit with Eric. He asked if I knew where you were going and when you'd be back, he said he wanted to give you a gift. I told him I'd give it to you. It was that envelope that I gave you when I brought you the flowers. Didn't you read it?"

I hadn't read it. I had left in on my kitchen counter, and when the flowers died I didn't think twice about it. "Who was it?"

"I don't know. He looked like Jason in the dark, but he was older. I didn't get his name. He came to see me the night you got married. He told me that you were on your way to Fangtasia. I would say he's your guy." He groaned as he sat up against the wall and held his hand to the wound in his chest. I heard the door opening and a woman's voice called out to Quinn.

"Don't you say anything or I'll gut her in front of you."

"What's happened to you, Sookie? Eric has turned you into a monster."

I moved vampire fast into the front room and grabbed her before she even knew I was there. I dragged her into the kitchen and took the duct tape from my bag. I wrapped it around her mouth and pushed her down to the floor. Quinn made eye contact with her; her eyes were wide with fear and she began trembling.

"It's okay, Natalie. She's here for me, not you. Just sit quietly, don't do anything crazy. She'll leave soon, right Sookie? I didn't hurt Jason. I would never kill your brother. I loved you, Sookie. I really did." He looked pale and sweaty and I would be surprised if he survived long enough for an ambulance to arrive.

I looked down at the blood on my hands and I felt the dried blood on my mouth and neck. I felt my stomach turning, but I didn't want him to see me throwing up. "Quinn, leave me and my husband alone and you'll never see me again."

I gathered the duct tape and wrapped my knife in a towel that was hanging on the wall. I shoved it into my bag and ran out the side door. There were fire trucks and several police cars along the street. I went to the house next door and turned on a hose that was hanging on a hook. I threw up along side the house , rinsed my face, neck and hands and breathed deeply to calm my nerves. I walked slowly, but purposefully towards the Spyker and climbed into the driver's seat. I adjusted the mirror and pulled away from the house. I got a block away before I felt the tears rise up. I broke down and had to pull over to regain my composure. If Quinn wasn't lying, Dermot attacked Eric, then, went after my brother. He was after me for some reason, but I couldn't think of why. He was half fairy and half human himself. I couldn't think of why he would work so hard to get to me. I had to find Dermot, and I only had a few more hours to get to him before Eric woke up for the evening. I had no idea where to begin looking.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I headed back to Bon Temps and stopped at Whiskey's to get myself a drink. My hands were shaking so badly, I knew the clerk would think that I was an alcoholic. I bought a few tiny bottles of gin and took out one of my two bottles of water. I cracked open the water and drank half of it. I poured the gin in and shook it gently. I drank the bottle down quickly and felt myself calming down a little. But just as quickly, I felt it coming back up. I hung my head out the window and threw up. I began regretting taking Eric's blood earlier. It was just after noon and I still didn't know where to find Dermot.

I turned down Hummingbird Road, and pulled up to Gran's house. I would take a shower and make some phone calls. None of my vampire friends would be awake at this hour, and they would all owe fealty to Eric, not one of them would keep my location a secret if I told them where I was. I pulled out my cell phone and called Alcide Herveaux. He answered on the third ring.

"Sookie Stackhouse, how are you?"

"Hey, Alcide. How are things?" I didn't really feel like making chit-chat with him, but I hadn't talked to him in months and it wouldn't be polite to just blurt out what I wanted. I tried to maintain some semblance of propriety, even though I just tried to kill a man.

"I hear things are great for you, you're engaged, to Eric, right?"

"We got married over a month ago, actually. I just got back from my honeymoon. My brother, Jason was murdered, so we came home early."

"What? Oh, Sookie. I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"I can't really talk about it right now. I'm really having a hard time with it. I just need to ask you if you know anything at all about the fae. Or, do you know who might?"

"God, Sookie, that's really hard to say. I don't know much about them. They're very secretive and keep to themselves. I don't know anyone who has ever actually met a fairy. Why do you ask?"

"I'm looking for someone with fairy ties and I need some information." I didn't think it would be wise to tell him about my own connection to the fae. I couldn't let myself be targeted by any other creatures.

"Hang on a second, I've got another call." I could hear him clicking over to the other line as I let myself into my old house. Jason's friends were gone, and I was grateful that I didn't have to run into any of them while I tried to figure out my next move.

I went into the laundry room and found a box of clothes that had been too big for me when I moved to Ravenwood. I slipped the shorts on and had a quick thought that the shorts fit a little snug now. I'd gained back the weight and a little bit more.

"Thanks for waiting. I'm buying an interest in a quarry outside Dallas. Now, let me think about this. I really don't know who you could talk to about them. But you know who might know? There's a doctor that my father knows. She has helped our family from time to time. Her name is Dr. Ludwig."

"I know Dr. Ludwig, I have her number. Thank you for reminding me about her."

"You sound shaky, do you need any help?" He sounded so distracted that I didn't want to press further.

"I'm okay. I'm trying to keep myself together. Thanks for asking. Alcide, I'll get back to you, soon. Take care." I hung up before he could ask me anything else. I didn't want to think about Jason or I would lose my focus and run home to Ravenwood and not get this finished. I needed this to be finished tonight, before Eric woke up, found me and yelled at me for being impetuous. He would be very, very angry with me, and I was deeply sorry to hurt him, but Dermot had destroyed the only part of my human family that I had left. He wasn't going to stop until he destroyed me, so I had to get to him first.

I sat down at the kitchen table and looked over my body. My wrist was healed, but it still hurt. I had purple bruises on my knees from falling to the floor, and my ribs caused a sharp pain when I breathed in. It was taking my ribs a lot longer to heal than my wrist had. I'd reached a point where Eric's blood was wearing off, and I wasn't healing as quickly as I had been. I thought about Eric, sleeping fitfully under our bed, worried about me. I thought long and hard about going home and coming up with a plan to get to Dermot that didn't involve me running off on my own. I wouldn't feel safe until I had figured out what he wanted from me, or killed him. I walked over to the counter where I kept my grocery list and coupon clippings. There was a sliver envelope with my name written on it in dark swirling letters. I tore it open and saw that the handwriting was frenzied and I could sense the mania in the short demands.

"You will see me. Stop ignoring me. Dermot." He had included a cell phone number. I could have saved myself so much trouble if I'd read this the night of the benefit. I dialed the number and waited. It rang for a long time and I reached to hang it up, but Dermot picked up the phone.

"Well, I guess I finally got your attention."

"Why are you doing this? What is it that you want from me?"

"We'll talk in person. Where are you?"

"Why did you kill Jason?"

"I will discuss this with you in person. Tell me where you are, Sookie"

"Come to my home at Hummingbird Road." I remembered that my great-grandfather had told me that there was powerful magic at my Gran's house. I believed him because I was able to fight Quinn off, and no one had been able to harm me at the Bon Temps house ever since I met Niall.

"Sookie, I'm looking forward to meeting you."

"I can't say the same about you. I don't understand what you want with me and why you felt the need to kill my only living relative."

"I'm your family too, girl. Don't forget that." He hung up the phone and I thought I might work on getting a few weapons around the house to protect myself.

I got the bag of almonds from the front zipper pocket of my bag and ate some quickly. I was hungry, yet nauseous at the same time. I had to have something to settle my stomach. All I could figure was that my nerves were getting the best of me. I went to the bathroom to pee and noticed that I was spotting. This would be a horrible time to get my period, but it was just my luck. I called Tara while I waited for Dermot to show up. She was knee deep in summer sales, and couldn't really talk for long. I told her about Jason and she offered to drop what she was doing and come to Gran's. I didn't want her involved in the Dermot mess, so I told her I wasn't staying. At least someone would know where I was if something should happen to me.

The steps on the porch creaked and I went to the door. I had armed myself with a knife, but as easily as Quinn had taken it from me, I worried about trying to use it against him. My heart pounded in my chest. This man murdered my brother without any remorse and was probably coming here to do the same to me. I felt my fangs pressing against my gums, but they didn't click into place as they had earlier. I had lost a little of the strength that I'd gained. I threw the door open to put him on the defensive and he jumped a little at the suddenness.

"Why? Why would you kill him?" I threw myself at him and swung the knife at him blindly. He backed away from the doorway and put his arms up to protect himself. I slashed at his arms and cut him. I smelled his blood and immediately, my fangs slid into place. I was actually relieved. I didn't wait for him to answer, I kept slashing, but I couldn't understand why he was laughing at me.

"Why are you laughing? Why did you kill my brother?" I screamed and felt my throat getting hoarse.

"Stop." He held his hands up, and there was a flash of light from his palms. We were under my oak tree and I couldn't move my arms suddenly. It was as if I was bound by invisible ropes. "You have something I want, and I'm taking it from you today. Your brother got in the way. That big vampire of yours got in the way."

I looked at him closely for the first time since he'd arrived. He leered at me, like a disgusting version of Jason; his mouth twisted into a horrible grin. His eyes were narrowed into slits of madness. He was unwashed and there was leaf debris in his hair. I could smell wild animal on his breath and clothes as if he'd slept side by side with wild boar. His face was covered in a blond beard that had streaks of red that made him look like a demon. Except for the wrinkling around his eyes, he could pass for Jason, if Jason was insane. Dermot licked his lips, and grunted a little when he spoke and I wondered why Niall hadn't warned me about him.

"You invite me into that house of yours. Do it, or I'll slit your throat."

"You can't go in, can you? That's why you need me. If you kill me, you'll never get in that house."

"Niall's a fool for entrusting our sacred rite to someone so foolish."

"I don't know what the Hell you're talking about, and I don't care. What do you want with me?"

"You have something that I need and I mean to get it from you today." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He got into my face, but I couldn't move. He breathed his rancid breath into my face, and I felt the almonds rise into my throat. He waved his arms over me, and I was able to move my arms again. I collapsed onto the dirt and took a deep breath. I knew I had to run for the house. I was only about 15 feet from the door, but that was a long way if he knew I was going for it. I tried to appear weaker than I was. I rolled over onto my side so that he could get a look at my bruised legs and my purple wrist.

"Please, Dermot, whatever it is that you think I have, can we just talk about this? I don't have the strength to fight you. I'm so weak." I looked up out of the corner of my eye to see if he was buying my act. He leaned down over me and sized up my injuries.

"You get on your feet." He yanked me up into the air by my arm, but he was at least careful not to grab my healed, but purple wrist. "On your feet, and into that house. Invite me in, give me the sacred rite and then we'll talk."

"I –I don't know what you're talking about." I genuinely didn't know what he meant. I didn't have anything that could be considered a sacred rite to anyone. The fanciest thing that I owned was jewelry that I'd already taken to Ravenwood. "Dermot, I don't know anything about any sacred rite. But I'm not letting you into my house."

"Then I'll kill you, just as I killed your brother and wait for those men to return and have them invite me in."

"Dermot, tell me what you think it is that I have. I don't have anything that belongs to you. Niall didn't leave anything here, and I can't believe you killed Jason for no reason." I looked out of the corner of my eye at the porch and I closed my eyes tightly.

He reached into his pockets and I took advantage of his distraction and ran vampire fast to the porch. I slammed the door shut and locked it. My great grandfather told me that he'd put strong magic on my house to protect me, but I didn't know if that would hold up to an onslaught from another fairy. I didn't have the slightest idea what Dermot could be looking for. What would be in my house that would be worth killing Jason over?

I heard Dermot banging on the screen door. He was very angry, and I felt panic rising in my chest. I ran into the spare bedroom where I had boxed all of Gran's things. After she'd died, I packed things away and put them in here. I hadn't thought a thing about her stuff. I threw the door open and realized that this room was being used by one of Jason's friends. I pulled boxes from the closet and began tearing through them, looking for anything that Dermot might consider a sacred rite. I hadn't kept much that belonged to her. I had photo albums, jewelry and a few quilts that she'd made for Jason and me. Beyond that, I couldn't think of anything else in the house that was hers.

Dermot stopped banging on the door and it got quiet. I ran out into the living room, worried that he was trying some other tactic to get into the house. I looked around for something to defend myself and spotted my Gran's fairy statue. It was as if a light bulb went off in my head and I ran over to it. I lifted it up off the mantel and wiped it on my t-shirt. It was grimy with age, but a beautiful figurine nonetheless. I rushed into the kitchen and grabbed my backpack. I shoved the statue in my bag, and zipped it, looking for my car keys. I got my key ready because I was going to have to sprint, vampire fast to the Spyker and get going before Dermot realized that I was leaving.

I ran for the back door, and threw myself towards the car. Dermot was trying to see into the window alongside the house. He saw me climb into the car and ran towards me. I locked the door and got it started. Dermot ran for his own vehicle as I hurried out towards Hummingbird Road. I pulled the car out onto the main road and raced toward the highway. Dermot was in a short station wagon. He pulled up right behind me and I sped the car up. He wouldn't be able to keep up with me at all considering how fast the Spyker was, but he didn't need to keep up with me, he only needed to know where I was and as long as he kept me in sight, he would be able to follow me.

I had to slow down at the entrance to the highway, because there were two cars in the lane I was trying to enter. Dermot slammed his car into the back of mine, and I was shoved forward. The car didn't move quite so quickly and I knew that back end must be pretty damaged. I pulled out into the lane and put the car into fourth gear. I shot across two more lanes and stepped on the gas. He was behind me in the rear view mirror. I got caught behind a school bus traveling north and Dermot pushed his car into the passenger side of mine. I lost control of the car for a moment and felt the car skid into the sidewall. Sparks shot out from the car as metal scraped concrete.

I straightened the wheel and slammed the car into fifth gear. The car shot up to 135 miles per hour and I pulled far ahead of Dermot. I weaved in and out of traffic, and got off at the next exit. I drove fast, down a residential street and up into an open garage. I couldn't believe that someone would leave their garage door up, but it would suit my purposes.

I got out of the car, and pulled the garage door down and climbed back into the car. I didn't think that I'd been seen, but I crouched down in the driver's seat of the car and waited in the dark. It was hot and I began to sweat. I took my phone out to see the time. It was after four. I wondered if there was anyone that I could call that would be able to help me, but I realized that I was alone. I wiped my forehead on the tail of my t-shirt and tried to breathe. I sat there for nearly an hour and I felt myself getting tired. I'd had so much adrenaline in the last 24 hours that I was exhausted. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I heard a loud tapping on the glass and I jumped in my seat. I looked up and saw a woman with keys in her hand. She looked annoyed, but she also seemed afraid. I couldn't open the window without powering the car, so I turned the key and she started to yell.

"Get out of my garage."

"I'm really sorry. I was hiding, I'm sorry." I opened the window and began to apologize in earnest. "Someone was after me, I'm really sorry." My nerves were frayed, and I could barely get the words out. I must have looked a wreck, because she was suddenly sympathetic.

"Are you okay, Honey?" She had glanced at my ring and thought that I was running from an abusive husband. I didn't want to tell her the truth, but I couldn't do that to Eric.

"I'm okay. I'm in trouble. It's not what you think, someone killed my brother and now he wants to hurt me. I didn't mean to be in your garage. I'll go now."

I felt her weighing her options about helping me or sending me on my way. I turned to look out into the street to see if anyone was outside.

"Honey, come on inside. Let's get you something to eat and get you cleaned up."

"I can't bother you with my trouble. I'll be on my way." I really didn't have the emotional energy to try to fight this woman, but the questions would come and I couldn't answer those either.

"Come on in, don't worry about any trouble. It's just a meal and a place to rest. You look about as spent as a bad penny." I let her help me out of the car and into her house. She told me her name was Katherine Harcourt, but I could call her Kat, all her friends did. She was a third grade schoolteacher and had been living in Dead Branch, Texas before coming to Louisiana. Her husband, Jerry, worked on an oil-rig in the gulf and would be gone for another day or so.

I sat down at her kitchen table and she asked if I'd like a cup of tea. Nothing sounded better to me, and I sipped at it gratefully. She handed me two aspirin for my bruises, but I assured her that I wasn't in any pain.

My cell phone rang and I knew right away who it was. The sun was slipping down over the hillside. I debated not answering it, but I knew that he was only worried about me and it wasn't fair to make him worry.

"Eric, love, please don't be angry. I'm okay."

"Where are you? I'll come get you. Just tell me where you are."

"No, I can't. I went after Quinn, but he didn't kill Jason, honey, it was my great uncle Dermot. Dermot killed my brother then he came after me. He says I have something of his and I have to keep it from him. I don't want you to worry about me. I love you so much."

"Sookie tell me where you are. Baby, tell me." I had never heard him so tender, but I couldn't go home just yet. Dermot would look for me there, and that meant that Eric was in danger too.

"Honey, Dermot came after you. He's the one who drained you. Be on your guard, don't believe that I'm in danger if someone calls you and tells you differently. No one knows where I am. Please be careful. I love you. I mean it, Eric, I love you." I got choked up and I could feel his frustration with me. I had to hang up before he convinced me to come home. He was pushing me emotionally."

"Lover, this is madness, come home. I can protect you here. Tell me now."

"Eric, tell me you love me." I wanted to hear him say it before I hung up the phone. I needed to know that he loved me so that I could continue. "Please, do you love me?"

"Sookie, you know I love you. You sound as if you're ready to die tonight. Don't do this alone. Come home, NOW! I will find you if it takes me all night."

"Eric, don't look for me. Keep yourself safe. Go to work and I'll check in with you. Goodbye, darling." I hung up the phone and he called right back. I turned my phone off and stared at it on the table. Kat had been sitting quietly with her mug of tea.

"Your husband?"

"Yes, he's very protective of me." I finished my tea and yawned.

"He's a vampire. That's fascinating. How did you come to be married to a vampire?"

"That's a really long story. May I have some more tea?" I got up to make it when she nodded and I told her the short version of how Eric and I got together. Something about telling this stranger a long story helped to calm me down a little, and I was able to think more clearly. I needed to get myself somewhere where I could strategize. I thought about calling Niall, but he would tell me to go home too. The men in my life didn't understand that this was my kill. I had to end this on my terms. I was done being victimized, I was sick of being afraid and I wasn't going to do it anymore.

I finished my tea, and asked her if I could use her restroom. I checked to see if I was still spotting, but it had stopped for now. I vaguely wondered if I should ask her for a tampon. I washed my face and hands and looked at myself in the mirror. I was worn out. I had dark circles under my eyes. I'd slept on the plane, but it was fitful, un-refreshing sleep. I went out of the bathroom and asked Kat if she would mind if I took a quick nap. I couldn't believe that I'd been in France yesterday and that things had been so incredible. Kat told me there was a bedroom upstairs where I could rest. I thanked her, asked her to wake me in 20 minutes and went into the room after she opened the door. It was plainly furnished with a small bed, a smaller desk and a few books. This had been her son's room before he'd moved away to college. I couldn't believe how tired I was. It was as if Atlas shrugged his duties off onto my shoulders, and I felt weary through and through.

I took off my shoes and socks and pulled the sheets down. I climbed into the bed clutching my backpack to my chest. If Dermot wanted this statue, he was going to have to pry it from my hands. I didn't know what its importance was, but Niall had entrusted it with my Gran, and she would want me to protect it. I thought about Eric who was probably pacing the halls at Ravenwood, and ordering people around. I hated that I had to leave him out of this, but he would only ask me to stay home while he dealt with Dermot. I was kind of hungry and a little bit achy, but I was so very tired. I laid my head down, and was instantly asleep.

I heard talking but I couldn't tell if I was reaching out mentally, or if I was hearing them with my ears. Someone was having a heated debate. I didn't want to intrude, but the bathroom was in the hall. I put my socks and shoes back on, and grabbed my bag. The zipper was open, and I hadn't remembered leaving it that way. I got a little nervous and reached inside. The statue was still there, as was the coaxial cable, the duct tape that I'd used at Quinn's and the tools. But I knew that I'd zipped the bag. Ever since I'd been molested, I'd had a thing about putting things right. If I left a room, I had to close the door. If I opened a zipper, I had to close it. Someone had been through my things. Maybe Kat was curious about me, but I thought it was a little strange that she'd go through my bag. I went into the bathroom and cleaned up. I was very hungry now, and could only think about eating and getting on the road. I would use my own ATM card so that Eric couldn't track me, and I'd get a hotel room. I looked in my bag for my cell phone, but remembered that I had left it on Kat's kitchen table.

The voices grew louder and I tiptoed down the stairs. Kat was talking to a dark haired man with a thick moustache. He instantly thought about all the money he'd get when he saw me. I panicked a little, and turned to Kat. She looked stricken.

"Hi, this is Jerry. Jerry is my husband. I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"My name is Susan, Susan Compton." My instincts were telling me to lie, and no one, especially Eric would think of the name Compton. Jerry approached me cautiously; as if I were a rare bird that he was afraid would fly away if he got too close. I got nervous.

"Well, Susan. You must be hungry as a polecat. Kat, get our guest something ta eat. You been sleepin' for two solid days."

"Wait, what? Two days?" I panicked and looked at Kat. She nodded.

"You were a mess. I thought something was wrong with you, I tried to wake you to give you something to eat and it was like you were dead. I couldn't rouse you until right around sunset. Even then you've been delirious, calling out for Eric and talking to someone named Meshra. I've never seen someone sleep for two days, unless they were fevered, but you never did seem sick. I guess you were just plain exhausted."

I'd never experienced jet lag before, but two days was a lot, even for me. If what she was saying was true, it was now Wednesday and by the looks of the sky, it was Wednesday evening. I remembered Meshra saying that she had just gone to sleep for two days when she was turned. Had I become vampire and didn't know it? I guessed I would find out in the morning.

"I'm sorry to have put you out. I'll get going. Is my cell phone still on the kitchen table?" I began towards the kitchen. Jerry held up his hands, and again I had a flash from him that he was thinking about all the money he would get for me.

"Now hang on, you've got time for something ta eat, right? We can't turn you loose 'til you've had a proper meal, right Kat?"

"I really should be going. I have already been too much trouble." I sensed that Jerry did not want me to leave and when I scanned him, I became horrified as I saw him remember going through my backpack. I slipped my phone off the table and turned it on. I had 60 missed calls. I put it into the front pocket of my bag. Kat handed me a sandwich, but I was nervous about eating it. Eric had drugged me for my own good. I didn't trust Jerry to not try something similar to keep me here. But to what end?

"Kat, I'm just going to grab something on my way home. I'm going home to my husband now. Thanks for your hospitality." Kat's eyes were still wide and she looked fearful for me. I walked towards the garage door and Jerry beat me to it. His arm was outstretched and he held it closed. I wondered if I had enough strength to fight him off considering how long it had been since I'd eaten….or fed my mind added. I really was turned if I was thinking that way. I decided to try to reason my way out of this mess.

"I've heard of kindness, but this really is too much. I don't need to tell you that my husband is very worried about me. In fact, he could be here any minute. He's a vampire and you don't want to piss him off. He's only recently stopped killing humans for sport." I thought of Quinn's friend and mentally checked that as a white lie.

"I ain't so worried about no damned vampire. That's a pretty fancy car you got out there. I done looked it up on the internet and there's only about 20 of them cars in the whole wide world. So how did a pretty little thing like you get one of them Spyker cars?

"I stole it. It's not mine. I'm just a waitress from Red Ditch and I stole it from some guy. Please, there isn't any money. You've been through my bag, you know I don't have anything."

"I know you got somebody wit' money lookin' for you. I know that the man I talked to was only too happy to pay a pile o' money to get you back. See, I called the last number you called out, 'cause that's likely to be somebody important, somebody who would have an interest in gettin' you back. And don't you know, he said he'd be right over."

I thought about it briefly and had a surge of memory that the last person I'd spoken to was Eric, my heart skipped with joy that was just as quickly squashed when I realized that Eric had called me. The last number I'd dialed was Dermot. I really had to get out. I tried to move Jerry as the thought of Dermot walking in here and taking me sank in, but I was really weak from not eating. Jerry pushed me down into a chair and told me to sit. Kat looked desperately sorry to be involved and she kept apologizing over and over in her head. I knew she didn't have anything to do with my predicament. She made me a cup of tea, but I shook my head. She slid the sandwich that she'd made toward me and my stomach growled, but I couldn't eat it.

"Susan, it's okay. You can eat it, it's good food and you need to eat. Honey, you've not eaten in two days and you didn't look as if you'd eaten much when you got here." I shook my head and thought about how I was going to get away. "If you want, I'll take a bite and you will see that I didn't do anything to it." She got a knife from a drawer and cut a corner off the sandwich and ate it. I was unconvinced. I couldn't believe that she was going along with him. I was so hungry watching her eat that I felt tears coming. I wiped my eyes and she slid the sandwich towards me again. I felt defeated. If I'd been able to keep anything down, I might have had the strength to fight these people off, but the last thing I'd been able to keep down was a handful of almonds. I remembered the little bag and pulled them out. I ate the last of the three little nuts and felt my stomach throb with desperation. My throat was dry as I swallowed and Jerry came towards me.

"Suit your own damned self." He snatched the sandwich and began eating it in front of me. I started shaking with fear. Then I heard a car door slam. Dermot strode into the kitchen with a big grin on his face. Maybe if I just gave him the statue he would leave me alone, leave Eric alone and I could go home and live my life.

"Well, well, well. Aren't you just more trouble than you're worth?"

"Dermot, we can work something out. I'll just give it to you and you can leave me out of whatever it is that's going on between you and Niall." I reached for my bag, but he pulled me up out of the chair.

"There's no leaving you out of it. You're the key to something much bigger than yourself, little fairy girl." I knew bargaining with a psychopath was useless, but I couldn't help myself.

"Dermot, I just want to go home and live my life. I just got married. My husband is looking for me right now. Please, leave me alone and you can have it. It's right there in my bag."

"Let's go." He began dragging me towards the door and Jerry stepped to him.

"Now wait a minute, where's all the money we talked about on the phone."

Dermot got that weird grin on his face that he'd gotten right before he stunned me with the ball of light in his hands. I saw Jerry's hands go to his throat and he began clawing at his neck as if he couldn't breathe. His eyes went wide, and he was gasping. Kat's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she was lifted from the ground. Dermot seemed to be focusing on them intently, and I slipped my arm out of his grasp. As I was turning to run, I saw Jerry's head split open and Kat's tongue lolled out as if she'd been hanged. I ran through the front door and was happy to see that I still had a little energy to run. I had no idea where I was or how I was going to outrun him, but I had to try. I could hear him laughing behind me and I kept running. I threw my backpack over a fence and scaled it quickly. Dermot grabbed at my shoe as I went over the fence, and I lost it. I landed on my shoulder with a thud, but rolled towards my bag and grabbed it. It was full dark now and I concentrated on Eric, hoping that he would be able to find me. Dermot was banging my sneaker against the side of his head as he chased me through several backyards. I tried to stay along the tree line where it was darker. I was counting on my vampire altered vision to be better than his fairy assisted vision. I had no idea how well or poorly fairies saw.

He called out to me as I ducked into a copse of trees.

"Sweet Sookie, I will find you, and when I do, I'm going to make it so bad for you for putting me through all of this."

I ran to the right of where I'd heard his voice. I was making a lot of noise, stepping on twigs and pushing past branches that hadn't seen rain in a while. I crouched down low and waited to see if he would go past where I was hiding. I felt a hand on my shoulder and tried to pull away. He laughed in my face and pulled me into the grass. I kicked at him and clawed at his face. I felt my teeth stir a little as I fought him. I bit at him and broke the skin, but couldn't get a good grasp on him. He tore my shirt and I slid away from his grip. I pitched headlong into a bed of pine needles, and he was on me again. I shoved the bag forward of me and he reached for it. I kicked him in the ribs as he stretched and I tugged the bag back from him. My lungs burned and my throat felt as if I'd drank acid. My legs were rubbery and weak, but I had to keep running. Dermot caught up to me and tried to tackle me. I darted left and he hit the ground.

I ran for a clearing in someone's yard and tripped over a sprinkler head. I landed on my knees and was stunned for a moment. I had never been so tired in all my life, but I had to get away from him. I crawled forward trying to catch my breath. I wouldn't die out here under some little kid's swing set. I heard him laughing again and saw a porch light come on.

"Is someone there?" A man's voice called out and then I heard a shot. I thought for a moment that the man would be my salvation, but as I turned to look, I realized that Dermot had shot him. Dermot had a gun and that made me need to get away even more. It was probably the same gun he'd used to kill Jason. I dragged my backpack up onto my shoulders and stood up to run. When I stood, he caught sight of me and I sprinted ahead into the woods again.

"Aw, come on Sook, don't make this harder than you need to. I'm going to have to skin you alive now. Come on, girl. Be good, and I'll give you something real nice. Yeah, real nice before I kill you." I didn't have to think too long about what he meant and that made me want to run even harder but I didn't have anything left in me. I leaned against a tree trying to catch my breath, and saw that I was on a fifty-foot precipice. It was steep and angled downward in such a way that it would be difficult for him to climb down if I jumped. I slid down to the ground and thought that at least I would go fighting.

I thought of Eric, and what would happen to him. I hoped that someday he would forgive me. I hadn't intended to get myself killed. I imagined that this must have been what it was like for him on the side of the road, watching his blood flowing away from his body. I didn't want to die, but I couldn't see another way out. Nothing I had was any match for a psychopath with a gun. I would never make it easy for him to take me, or the statue. I unzipped my bag and pulled the statue out. His eyes grew wide in the darkness and I saw his reverence for it.

I held it up so that he could see it. This statue had cost me my brother, and now my own life. "Here it is, asshole. Here it is. You got so close, but you're never going to have it." He ran towards me and it felt as if time had slowed down suddenly. I saw his expression change as he realized that I meant to jump. I didn't have far to leap, I only had to lean a certain way. I clutched the statue as I leaned out into the black crevasse and jumped. Time, fear, space and hope fell away from me as I soared downward. I saw a fluttering black figure grab Dermot as I began to cartwheel into the sky. I closed my eyes, sensing that at the moment of impact, I would just stop thinking; stop being, and it would be quiet. I felt my hair flutter around my face and I thought of Eric.

I was suddenly jerked up into the air rising upwards instead of pitching downward. I looked up into Eric's beautiful face and gasped.

"Gotcha!"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Eric! OH MY God. OH MY God. I thought I was going to die."

"You would have." He landed and placed me on the ground gently, but didn't let me go. He pulled me closer to his chest as I sobbed. I was safe, Eric had me and I was safe. I heard Dermot screaming in the woods, and I heard someone else growling as well.

"I'm sorry, I should have listened to you."

"Why would you ever start now?" He took my face in his hands and kissed me over and over. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you badly, lover?"

"No, I'm, I think I'm okay. But I wrecked your car."

"I don't care, I don't care, I have you now."

"You saved me. Thank you, Eric. You came and saved me." I dropped the statue, clutched at his arms and held onto him tightly. I knew that he understood that I had been hoping for this moment since I'd been kidnapped; I could count on him to be there when I needed him. Eric would always be there for me. I heard footsteps approaching and I turned my head quickly to see who was coming towards us. Eric wasn't worried and I calmed down slightly.

"Sookie, there is something that I must tell you." He looked into my eyes and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs as I'd seen him do with Fallon. "Do not be alarmed."

I turned to see who was standing behind me and looked up at Jason. My heart leapt up as I did and threw myself into his arms. He caught me with ease and kissed me. I pressed my cheek against his chest and held onto him.

"Jason? Jason, Oh, God. What happened?" Eric stood then and came to our side.

"I sent Pam to give him blood the night we got the call. She decided to turn him rather than see you lose your brother. She said that she did it for you. I suspect that she did it for herself as much as you, however. I will reprimand her if you'd like, but I think I shall leave that up to Jason."

"Little Bit, I've been in the ground for the last two nights. I was in the hospital one minute, then she was clawing me out of the dirt the next."

"I didn't want this for you, you'll be ostracized."

"I don't care what those ratty old panthers think, I didn't want to die. I'm grateful to Pam. And yeah, she's my maker now, but there are worse things than having sex with a beautiful woman for a few hundred years."

"Where is Dermot? Did he get away? What happened to him?"

"I took care of him for you, Sook. You never have to worry about that guy again." Jason winked at me, and I had the feeling that Dermot had been Jason's first vampire dinner. Jason floated up above me, testing out his skills of flight. He'd inherited Eric's abilities apparently.

I felt my legs go and Eric swooped me up into his arms.

"I promised Niall that I would call him as soon as I had you. I'll call him after we get you home. Meshra, Marius and Fallon are worried sick about you."

"They're here?" I really had put everyone to a lot of trouble.

"Great Granddaughter, are you well?"

I heard Niall before I saw him, but when I did, the moonlight shimmered around him making him look holographic. He was masking his scent so that Eric and Jason would not go crazy. As it was, Eric was having a hard time keeping me upright. Jason sat on his hands and tried not to look.

"I'm fine. I'm just---" I couldn't exactly go into how hungry and exhausted I was. "I suppose you want your statue back." He always managed to show up after the danger had passed. Either he had lousy timing, or the Fae boundary was harder to cross than I'd realized.

Jason picked up the statue and handed it to me He wouldn't look at Niall, and Niall had chosen to ignore Jason's changed condition.

"No, you must keep that with you. This statue is of Lady Gossamer, our sleeping fairy queen. If this statue is returned to Fae, she will awaken and take all of magic with her. It is because she is sleeping that we are imparted with magic. When she was awake in the world, she had all the magic that was to be had at her own disposal. She came to realize how dangerous it was to have that much power concentrated in one being. She volunteered to be put to sleep for ten thousand years, in the hopes that magic would disseminate and other creatures would become magical as well. If she is awakened too soon, all of our world will perish. In your world, your vampire will cease to live. Your shifter friends will become stuck in whatever form they happen to be in, and well, quite frankly, you would die too." I tucked the statue back into my backpack and put it on.

"Why do I need to keep it, can't you all lock it in a safe deposit box on this side of the world instead of it collecting dust at my house?"

"Did you grandmother never tell you anything about the statue?"

"No, except that we weren't to touch it. It was valuable. But she didn't mention it otherwise."

"Lady Gossamer, my mother, has bestowed certain gifts upon her children; the gift of clairvoyance, telepathy, and telekinesis. You, as a telepathic direct descendant of Lady Gossamer are entrusted with her sacred rite. When we discovered your telepathy, we realized that it was you she had chosen as her protector, as well as young Hunter who will take over if something should ever happen to you."

"How is Hunter, by the way? Is he all right?"

"He has recovered very well, and has taken to his new life as a fairy quite well." I hadn't realized that Hunter would never be told that he was part human as long as he was living with Niall.

"So what does this mean to me? What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Nothing at all. Dermot was after you to return the statue to Fae and renounce your blood, thereby ending our world as we know it. You have only to keep the statue, you are its guardian, while it is safe, you are safe and so is she. It has been protecting you all these years. I would keep it in your new home, to protect its inhabitants."

Jason spoke for the first time since Niall appeared.

"Is it magical, can she ask for wishes?"

"Somewhat, but not in the way that you're thinking. It does not bring monetary gain. But acts of love, heroism and bravery rewarded a thousand-fold. Given her present condition, what other wishes could she have?" He kissed both my cheeks and hugged me swiftly.

I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but he'd thrust his cane into the soil creating a bubble of light that was both warm and cold. It was a strange purple glow that made him look yellow as he stood in the center. At that moment, it occurred to me that he looked like Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings movies. He was gone in a flash of light and Eric pressed his cheeks to mine and inhaled deeply.

"God, Sookie. The way you smell, I could do some really nasty things to you right now, and I can't believe I have to wait until we get home."

"If I wasn't exhausted, dirty and starving, I'd let you. I'm sorry I worried you."

He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. I let him hold me up as I returned his kiss. I tilted my head kissing him softly as I felt us ascending up into the air.

As Eric lifted us into the air, Jason hovered beside us and I was struck with a pang of jealousy that my brother would get to share this ability with Eric and I couldn't. I thought about letting Eric, Marius and Fallon turn me officially as we floated above the yards I'd run through. I led Eric back to the garage where his car was stashed. And he bit his bottom lip when he saw the car. A year ago, I would have been freaked out about the bodies inside the house, but I didn't give them a second thought until much, much later.

"I'm really sorry, honey." I couldn't imagine what he'd paid for it.

"It's all right." He walked around it and he looked at the driver's side door. I saw his eyes in the dark and I looked down at the ground.

"I know that car is special to you."

"You know there were only 20 of these in the world, right?"

"I said I was sorry." The car really was destroyed for all intents and purposes.

Jason couldn't contain a choked giggle. "Hey Eric, you think that'll buff out?"

He smiled a little at Jason's joke, but put his hands up to his eyes and shook his head. "It's all right. It really is. All that matters is that Sookie is safe. "

I felt like he was trying to convince himself though.

Fallon threw the door open for us as Eric carried me up the stairs. Meshra gasped when she saw me and followed us up to our bedroom. Marius and Fallon came into the room.

"Oh, mio Dio, the fairy scent, it is so strong." He inhaled deeply and Fallon was swaying as she stood next to me.

"Children, do not just stand there swooning, she may be hurt, draw a bath." Meshra pointed to the bathroom, but Fallon was blissed out.

"Mom, do we have to? My word, she smells so good. Five more minutes, please. We never get to smell fairy."

Meshra gave Fallon a look that I had seen my grandmother give Jason. She stamped her foot and led Marius to the bathroom. Marius ran my bath and lit candles. Fallon poured bubble soap in and stirred the soap around until there were lots of bubbles. I rested against Eric letting him take off my one shoe and socks. Marius and Fallon excused themselves until Eric had me undressed, but they came back in as he was bathing me. Meshra had stayed in the room, looking me up and down as I stood naked and shivering on the marble. I found it a little odd, but I didn't say anything because this was how vampires cared for each other as nest mates. Besides, they'd come all this way to help me.

Eric climbed in the water with me and washed my face gently. Fallon washed my hair, inhaling every few minutes. Marius cleaned the dirt from under my fingernails as Meshra gave me sips of broth between Eric's light kisses. I cried at how gentle they were being, and Eric kissed my tears.

"Do not cry, Angel. You're home and you're safe."

Meshra asked Fallon and Marius if they wouldn't mind leaving the three of us alone for a minute. I wondered what was wrong, but she had a soft smile on her face and they didn't seem to mind.

I looked up at her. I was exhausted and still hungry. I took the cup of broth and wished someone had tossed in a crouton or two.

"Darling daughter," she took my hand then took Eric's in hers. "You don't know do you?"

"Know what?" I knew about Jason, maybe she didn't know. I looked from her to Eric, but he didn't seem to know what she meant either.

"You're pregnant."

"WHAT?" I shook my head and said no, she must be mistaken.

"Mom, that's ridiculous," Eric looked at me and his expression was disbelief, but also fear, that I'd been unfaithful.

"Eric, I have never cheated on you. You know that. I'm not pregnant. What makes you say that?" Meshra was smiling as if she could hardly believe it herself.

"Put your hand to your belly. Do you feel that protrusion? That is your womb. That is my Eric's child."

I wished with all my heart that she was right, but this was cruel. There was no way that I could be pregnant, vampires were sterile. Everyone knew that.

"Meshra, I've only been with Eric, I swear it on my life and Eric can't get me pregnant."

"Yes, love, he can. And he has, as it was with Titus and me when we made Marius."

Eric was more incredulous than I.

"Mother, how is that possible?' She pulled up a low chair that we kept at the vanity and held his hand in hers.

"I told you there were side effects to having my blood. I told you I didn't want you to have it until you had met someone who loved you. Eric, you've always known that I was not human when I was turned, and now you are like me. Sookie, is like me. And now my blood has helped you to bring life into the world, instead of only taking. I am so pleased that this has happened. Sookie, when was your last cycle?"

I honestly had no idea. I had been vomiting though, and peeing a lot and I'd gained weight. I told them this and Eric looked hopeful. I told him that if I truly was pregnant, it must have happened in Paris, the night of the Eiffel Tower date, because I'd been expecting my period shortly after that but thought the stress of turning suppressed it.

Eric looked down into my eyes. "Sookie, could it be?"

"Oh Eric, I hope so. I hope it more than anything I've ever hoped."

Meshra leaned down and kissed us each on our cheeks. "I do not believe that this would have been possible without your fairy blood, dear heart, so I cannot take sole responsibility. You are both filled with my life force now, not just death and magic. I'm so happy for you. Now you will know the joy that I have in my heart for my children. Take care of your wife, son, she is going to give you a child." She slid the chair under the vanity and closed the door softly.

"Are you comfortable? Would you like more hot water?"

"I would love that, I'm freezing." I laid my head on his shoulder and stared at the candles flickering on the edge of our tub. "That was nice of them to bathe me and take care of me."

"That's what we do when one of us is injured. I have to tell you Sookie, vampire families are much closer than human families. I don't understand why humans think they are so superior."

"We have only known ourselves to exist. I think it's a whole dominion of the earth thing like in the bible. But, I think if most people could see themselves in others, they would change." He leaned over and turned the water off.

"Baby, how did you find me? Is our bond that strong?"

"Yes, and it always will be. I will always know where you are in the world."

He was pensive and I realized that we were avoiding the issue at hand.

"Eric, you're afraid, aren't you?" I hadn't felt this in him before, this emotional vulnerability.

"I'm—yes. I guess I am. I just haven't thought about it in centuries because it was never possible. I'm in shock, I really don't want to believe it because if it's not true, then I'll be really disappointed and I don't want you to think that I wouldn't still be happy with you having a child with a donor. I just don't want to get my hopes up."

"The only thing that we can do is get a pregnancy test, I guess." I had given up the idea of ever having Eric's child. And even now when presented with the possibility, we didn't, couldn't believe it. He was silent and so was I. I looked up at him and saw that he was upset.

"Would you rather I not keep it?"

"What? No, I mean no—that's not—Sookie." He climbed out of the water and got a towel.

"I only meant that you don't seem happy. You seem angry and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that."

"I'm not angry. I'm anything but angry. I just need a few minutes to process. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to go for a ride. I'll be back."

"Eric…." I shook my head and put my hand on my belly. Was it truly possible? Meshra said that it was, she'd had Marius. But she was a supernatural being herself. I was mostly human with some fairy traces. But maybe that trace was enough given that I was descended from the head magical being herself. If it was true, I would have to hide our baby from the world. A baby. I couldn't wrap my brain around it.

I climbed out of the water and stared at my body in the full-length mirror as I dried myself. My abdomen was certainly not as flat as it had been a month ago, but I'd chocked that up to French food. I looked out the window and saw Eric on Avalon running toward the back pasture. I threw on sweat pants and a t-shirt and pulled my hair back. As I descended the stairs, Fallon came out of the kitchen with a tray of grapes and some cheese singles.

"I thought you might still be hungry." I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her. "Are you all right, Sookie?"

"I'm great. Thank you, Fallon. Thank you for coming." I ate the grapes as I looked around the first floor. I realized that I hadn't seen Jason. I came back around to the foyer.

"Hey, Fallon, have you seen my brother?"

"He, Pam and Marius are in the dining room."

It was just like my brother to get himself caught in a love triangle even in the afterlife. I listened for a moment before knocking and heard Pam telling Marius that she wanted to develop her relationship with Jason. I knocked softly and pushed the door open. Jason was holding Pam's hand and Marius was standing at the window with his back to them. I could tell that things were not going well.

"Hi, guys. Jason, I was wondering if you would mind taking me to the store."

"Not at all. I'll be right there." He kissed Pam on the cheek and she leaned into him. I hadn't seen them together so I didn't know what their relationship was like. They seemed sweet together. Marius snorted and shook his head as if he couldn't believe she'd chosen Jason over him.

I walked into the living room where Meshra and Fallon were building a fire.

"I'll be back. I need to run an errand. Will you tell Eric I'm with Jason?" Meshra came to my side and took my hands.

"Is everything all right, Sookie? Have I done the wrong thing?"

"He doesn't believe it and I think he thinks that I've cheated on him. I would never do that Meshra. Never. I think he knows that in his heart, but it would be easier for him to believe that I had than for him to believe that your blood has made him able to procreate again. He's off riding his horse. Even if I get a pregnancy test and it comes back positive, he will not believe that I've been faithful. This is awful. I wanted this more than anything and it's the worst thing that could happen to us. I'll be back."

Jason met me on the porch and he lifted me into his arms.

"Wouldn't it be just as easy to drive?"

"Sure, but nowhere near as awesome. Not to mention, it's gorgeous out. It's like having a convertible, except better. Just hang on. Where are we going?"

"Brookshire's. I need a pregnancy test."

"Oh, no. Not that Tiger…."

"No, not him. Eric."

"But how?"

"It's complicated. I don't even want to think about it until I know for sure."

Jason lifted me into the air slowly, testing his ability to balance. We were met by Eric, who gently glided beside us and coaxed Jason to the ground with a hand on his shoulder.

"Stay here, Sookie. I have summoned Dr. Ludwig. If you are pregnant I don't want anyone to know about it for a while until we decide what to do."

"What do you mean 'Decide what to do? If I'm pregnant, I'm having a baby, that's what we're doing." I rolled my eyes in annoyance because the few times I had entertained the idea of us having a child, I imagined telling him that I was pregnant and that he would gather me up and celebrate with me. Granted, I'd always figured I would use a donor, but this was worse because it was his kid. I was getting angrier by the second and I felt defensive about the tiny little bean sprouting in my uterus.

"Do not become angry Sookie, I meant decide what to do about protecting you and the baby…. if there is one. The whole vampire community will be up in arms about it and--"

"So, you're worried about your position in the vampire community. Is that what this is?" I stormed back into the house and slammed the door behind me. Fallon and Meshra came out into the foyer. Eric threw the door open and caught up to me as I ascended the stairs.

"We need to talk. No, I need to talk and you need to listen." He pushed open our sitting room door and kicked it closed. I sat on the couch pouting. Yes, it was childish, but he'd pissed me off.

"Are you going to sit there and let me talk?"

"Not if you're going to talk at me, like I'm one of your employees."

"I just need to know that I can get a thought out without you telling me what I mean. I'm on new ground here, and I need a minute to process. You've been dreaming about this since you were a little girl, and I've been avoiding the subject for about nine hundred fifty years. So just sit there and let me say what I'm trying to say, or so help me, I'm going to--"

"You're going to what?" He exhaled loudly to let me know that he was exasperated as well as infuriated. I couldn't stop baiting him because I couldn't believe that he cared more about his position than his child.

"You're impossible, woman. Fine, say what you like. I do not care. I will talk, and if you hear me, lovely. If you do not, then you only have yourself to blame. I am not at all concerned with what anyone in the world thinks. I am concerned that if the world finds out that another vampire has procreated, then other vampires may want to. That means that my mother, will be scrutinized. We have been hiding her for centuries because every time some creature finds out what she is, she gets taken advantage of. Meshra has a big heart, she's not like other vampires. If she is lucky, she would only be trapped in a lab for study. If she is unlucky, she will be caught and drained. I cannot risk my mother's life, or the baby's so we need to proceed cautiously."

"But Meshra said there are five or six other vampires like Marius who were born that way because their parents are angels or fairies or whatever other creatures there are that I don't know about."

"And they're all in hiding because of what happened to their parents. Why do you think she didn't tell Fallon and me that Marius was her son? It's very dangerous for born vampires. Not to mention that fairies aren't exactly out. Are you ready to have the world know that you are part fairy? Are you ready for the ridicule, the scorn and possibly the attempts on your life? They hate us, Sookie, they hate what you and I are to each other. I only want to think about how to proceed before we start to celebrate."

"Honey, can we do just the opposite? Can't we find out if I am pregnant, celebrate privately, then start picking out her security guards and colleges?"

"Her?" He sat down beside me and I felt him melt a little.

"Eric, we don't have to worry about the baby's whole life in one evening. All I want is to find out if I really am pregnant, have you hold me in your arms and tell me that you love me and concentrate on keeping this baby safe while she's inside me.

"A baby….My baby….. You might be having my baby."

I nodded and smiled. He flashed me a sideways grin that he got sometimes when he was really proud.

There was a knock at the door and Natalia led Dr. Ludwig in to our room. It was clear that whatever condition was responsible for Natalia's smallness and tiny voice, was shared by Dr. Ludwig. She hobbled toward me with her bag and I wondered what sorts of herbs or potions she would have me eat or drink. I imagined that she would mix up some tea and have me drink it, then she'd look at the leaves and pronounce me not pregnant. Or maybe she'd press her tiny ear up to my tummy and say, "Oh yes, I do hear something." But it would be gas and we would get past this nonsense.

Dr. Ludwig nodded to Eric and unsnapped her bag. She was always down to business when I'd seen her. She handed me a plastic wrapped package and I took it.

"What do I do with this?"

"You pee on it. It's a pregnancy test. I'm guessing the vampire here wants to know who you've been seeing, so I'd get my story straight while I was waiting for the results, if I were you. Never wise to cheat on a vampire."

"I haven't been seeing anyone but my husband. You don't understand, see, I don't think I'm pregnant, I was spotting just three days ago. But his mother does think I am, and if I am, it's his."

"She is aware that he is deceased, am I correct?"

"Yes, she knows that, but see, there is a question because Eric and I have consumed angel blood and…. I'm part fairy…. and well, we're just…curious is all."

"Now let me get this straight," She looked down her glasses at me. "How has it happened that the two of you have come into contact with an angel in this day and age, in this region of the world, who was willing to part with blood for the two of you? You really expect me to believe any of this?" She looked at Eric and me as if we were hobos that were claiming to be millionaires.

Eric was growing impatient and I tried to calm him. I went into the bathroom, took the test and set it on the counter. I couldn't look at it, so I went back into the sitting room to wait the five minutes it took to get an answer. Eric was letting Dr. Ludwig have it.

"That's not why I'm paying you. We could have gotten a pregnancy test ourselves, what we need is some sort of reassurance that she's okay. She's in the process of turning, so she is either pregnant or vampire and we'd like to know which."

"That's your problem, vampire, you're too damned impatient. Frankly, I don't know what you see in him. Have you been exerting yourself recently?"

I thought of dragging Eric under our bed, fighting Quinn and most recently running from Dermot. I winked at Eric and he shook his head. "Just a little bit more than usual." She closed her bag with a snap. Meshra walked into the room and suddenly Dr. Ludwig was on one knee in front of her with her head bowed.

"Reverent Mother, I had no idea you were in America." Meshra took Dr. Ludwig's hand and lifted her.

"Stella, you do not need to bow. I appreciate the acknowledgment. I'm mostly concerned that my son and my daughter-in-law understand what they are in for. You see, I'm the angel who saw fit to give them my blood. My son's life was in danger."

Dr. Ludwig asked to examine me and I nodded. I led her into our bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Eric lay beside me and held my hand. I took a deep breath and let it out; either way, my life was going to be drastically different. Eric had said it, I was either going to be a mom or a vampire.

Dr. Ludwig pressed against my abdomen and examined my breasts. I stared at Eric because it was awkward having her tiny cold fingers on me. She took her glasses off and let them fall to hang by the chain around her neck.

"Well, Northman. I'll expect my check by Monday." She hobbled back into the sitting room, nodded to Meshra and gathered her bag.

"Well dwarf, is she pregnant or vampire?"

"Yes and sort of are the best answers that I can give you. Have a good evening." She slammed the door after kissing Meshra's hand.

I hated that she was never straight with her patients. Eric and I rushed into the bathroom and I asked him to look at the results because my hands were shaking. He held the pregnancy test up to the light and looked at me. I wished at that moment that I could read his thoughts, as his face was completely unreadable.

"Eric, you're killing me, here."

He knelt in front of me, placed his hands on my belly and kissed it.

"My baby."

He turned the test towards me and I saw the pink plus sign.

"I'm pregnant. Holy shit! I'm pregnant." I kissed him all over his face as we laughed together. My vampire and I were having a baby.


	23. Chapter 23

Epilogue:

Meshra, Marius and Fallon promised to return as it got closer to the time for our daughter to be born. Eric and I spent our evenings walking the grounds at Ravenwood, reading in the library next to the fire and making love.

As winter set in, we concentrated on decorating her room. I attended classes during the day and decided that I would become a writer. As I began to show, local human-vampire couples began sending me requests to tell them how they could have a baby. I kept telling them that it was purely a miracle and that Eric and I were just as surprised as anyone. No one believed this, and the requests poured in as word leaked out to the world.

The tabloids scoffed and called me terrible things; strumpet, hussy and slut among them. But Eric's lawyer Dormius, who I suspected was a demon, managed to silence them after a while.

Every night, Eric would rise from sleep and kiss my belly to say hello to Marissa. We'd chosen Marissa because it had so many elements that reminded us of things we loved. Meshra, Marius, Fallon, and Paris. Her middle name, Eva meant life in Swedish. I lay on my side reading a magazine and feeling her tiny fists under my ribs. She was active mostly in the evenings and I wondered if it was because she'd inherited the vampire gene and slept during the day, or if she was merely responding to the sound of her daddy's voice. I wouldn't know for sure until she was born. I suspected that she was more like me, because she seemed to kick up when I was out in the sun.

Meshra told me that Marius had always slept days, and that she lived her life as normal. My life would be different if she slept all day. I could leave her with Eric and attend school, work or whatever I chose until they both arose. On the other hand, if she hadn't inherited the vamp gene, and she was more like me, she would be up mostly during the day, and we would take turns with her.

Eric joked that I was lucky, he could stay up with her all night while I slept and that really, I was getting a good deal.

He came out of the shower and flashed me that million-dollar smile of his. He was still the Sheriff of Area five, but recently, Félipe de Castro had been in talks with Eric and the Queen of Texas to divide portions of Texas to give Eric more responsibility. There was talk of making him a king if he chose to. What I knew, that they didn't, was that Eric was considering turning his position over to Bill Compton so that he and I could focus on raising our daughter and maybe leaving Louisiana to raise her in Paris. I had seen Bill at Merlotte's last weekend. He was engaged to be married to a human doctor of internal medicine from Alameda, Texas. He'd met her through her vampire uncle, Reginald Wells, who had come to see Eric at the hospital.

Eric laid his hand on my belly and said hello. I felt Marissa's little feet start up and he smiled. He was the proudest father I had ever seen. When we rode anywhere, he would put his arm across my belly to brace me if we came to a stop. When I ate, he would check the labels to see if it was natural, or if there were chemicals. He rubbed my back and feet every night, and helped me with my Russian and Swedish lessons. We would teach Marissa Swedish first, then English so that she would be fluent in both. As the months dragged on, and I got bigger, Eric became more diligent about taking care of me. Meshra, Marius and Fallon arrived in a whirlwind of Louis Vuitton trunks and a little dog that she'd found outside her door. Fallon insisted that it was a stray, but Meshra was convinced it had been a gift from Lord Malbec.

Dr. Ludwig took over Fallon's case and discovered that she was indeed allergic to an antigen in human blood. When the antigen was removed, Fallon could drink without any cramping or vomiting. Eric contacted a laboratory in Boston and requested that they begin making this antigen free blood replacement for his sister. She was so touched by his generosity that she couldn't speak for over an hour. She just sat on the porch and cried. I too was touched by his thoughtfulness and he said it was the least he could do considering the role that he'd played in her unhappiness.

Dr. Armatrading determined that I was due in two weeks, around March 12 or so, and we thought it might be fun to start celebrating Eric's birthday on March 12 too. We planned a giant party for them both, depending on when she arrived.

Jason was excited to be an uncle and Pam was happy that she'd finally get to attend a baby shower after wondering what they were for a few years. Marius left here in July, beside himself in love with her still, but she insisted that she and Jason were a solid couple. Ever so often, I would catch her staring at him out of the corner of her eye and I would know that she viewed him much the way that I viewed Bill Compton. I was grateful to Bill for exposing me to a new world; a world where it was possible for the dead to walk in the shadows of a setting sun. A world where magic and mischief were accompanied by love and loyalty, hope and redemption.

The night we greeted our daughter Marissa, Eric sobbed in my arms at how beautiful our little blond haired, silver-eyed baby was. And if you didn't look too closely, you'd hardly notice that her ears were slightly pointed.

Author's Notes: I hope that you enjoyed the story. There are several items embedded in the story that are real places, paintings animals etc. If you're detail oriented, look them up : ) There is also a soundtrack. If you are interested, drop me a line and I will send you the list of songs and corresponding chapters. Thank you so much for reading,

---The Monagasque


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